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degrees russian imperialeinbecker mai-ur-bockeinstök paleeinstök toasted portereinstök whiteeisbraueisenbahn weizenbockej phair pale aleejector seatekòel bolsón con ajíel buho imperial stoutel cedroel importadorelb weisseelbowelderadoelectric indiaelephantelevationelevenelgood mixed berryelixirelizabethanelland beyond the paleelsie moembraembrasseembuscadeemelisse barley wineemelisse black + tanemelisse black ipaemelisse crème brûléeemelisse imperial doppelbockemelisse imperial stoutemelisse peated imperial stoutemelisse rauchbieremelisse red ipaemelisse triple ipaemelisse xxvemmerdaleemperorengboengelsengineers reserveengland's aleengland's ownenglish darkenigmaenjoy byentireepic brewepicurean coffee + figequinox ryeequinox smasher boquerónerabièreerase and rewinderdinger alkoholfreierdinger urweisseeroicaescape to coloradoeschenbacher schwarzespiga black ipaespiga brunaespressoespressostoutestrella galiciaeta hoffmanneternaleternal darknessetoile d'oreuchariuseuphoriaeuro goldevans goldeven more jesusevenlodeeverard's sgt peppereverard’s old originalevil cousinevil robotevolverewe rebelexmoor goldexp 431 ipaexperiment d041aexperiment xexperiment yexport goldexport london stoutextaseextraomnes bruinextraomnes donkerextraomnes saisoneye of the hawkf#¢k wittef.r.e.s.h.fade to black volume 3fair winds howling galefaithfalconer'sfalconer's flight blondefalken schwarz-bierfallen idolfalling stonefalls city black ipafalstaff'sfancy frank'sfantôme chocolatfaramifarmageddon california commonfarmageddon citra ipafarmageddon india exportfarmageddon india palefarmageddon wet hop ipafarmageddon white ipafarmer john'sfarmers blondefarmers stoutfarofat tirefavoritfeed the monkeyfeldschlösschen urtrübfeldschlösschen winterbierfermanaghfesthaltenfestina pêchefestivalfestival smoked black ipafestivefiafiach dubhfiddler's elbowfierce mildfifth sensefin du mondefinal frontierfinessefinestkindfinian's organicfinnfinn's hallfinn's knowledgefionnabhairfir bolgfire rockfirebrand black 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maturedinnocenceinstant credibilityintergalacticinternational arms raceinvasioninvasive speciesinversionipa is dead bramling xipa is dead challengeripa is dead citraipa is dead danaipa is dead el doradoipa is dead goldingsipa is dead hbcipa is dead motuekaipa is dead nelson sauvinipa is dead sorachi aceipa is dead waimeaireland's callirish blondirish house irish aleirish peatedirlandzkie mocneirlandzkie zieloneiron brewiron bridgeiron mountainironmongerirresistableisid'orislanderisolationit's alightit's aliveit's not vodkait's the new styleitchen valley citraittinger klosterbräuiv saisonjack d'ripajack doyle's premiumjack hammerjack smyth's goldjack smyth's stoutjack the ladjack whackerjack's winterjacobsen brown alejacobsen dark lagerjacobsen hoplessjacobsen single malt 2012jacobsen velvetjacobusjadejadedjagged edgejaguarjahrgangsbierjahrhundert-bierjai alaijaipur xjambe de boisjames' peachyjameson aged palejameson cask stoutjammin'jan van gentjasnejasper’sjaw gatejaywickjeff's 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fannybawmac'smac's drymac's mojomacbeth'smackeson triplemad goosemadagascarmadaminmaddyroemademoiselle aramismadnessmaesmaggie's leapmagic #421magic 8 ballmagic ghostmagic hat no. 9magic rock dark artsmagikmagister rubiamagister tostadamaharajamahon fallsmahou negramahr's hellesmahr's ungespundetmaisel indiamaisel palemaisel's dunkelmajor tom'smake it a doublemalbu-bockmalheur 10malheur 12malle babbemaltingsmamamama's little yella pilsmanamanchester ipamandarin crushmandarin mortalmandarina ipamango febermango weissbiermanhattan dawnmanke monnikmann's original brown alemano negramanx palemaplemoonmarble barley winemarble imperial redmarcus-bräu dunkelmarcus-bräu pilsmare incognitamareridtmargosemariage parfaitmariana trenchmariestadsmaris goldmars magicmarshall wharf oldmarston's epamarston's oystermartyrmary janemary's maplemary's ruby mildmashing pumpkinsmashtag 2015masopustnímasseymassivemaster brewmaster ipamaster polotmavymaster tmavymaster zlatymastra negramatebiermathilda 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blondemorsmort subite gueuzemort subite witte lambicmosaicmosaic promisemossepilsmountain livin'mourne goldmourne oystermouselmout + mocca 2mouten kopmozaikmr chubbs lunchtimemr g’smr perrett'smr smokey dark wheatmr whitemucklemugmundus vetusmunggamunichaulay dunkulkinmunkholmermunsterbräumurmanskmurray'smustangmutinymy antoniamythosmázmärkischer landmannmórmøllebyen english alemøllebyen portermørk festivalmühlen kölschmüllermüller urweizenmüller's lagerbiern toebackn'icen17 chilli portern17 festivaln17 oatmealn17 ryen17 summernachtflugnagolder urtypnailed itnaked ladiesnamastenamur expressnanny statenaparnaparbier gruitnarragansettnarwhalnat + droognatalnatterjacknaturbier rubianaturbier tostadanaturquell dunkelnectarneder fassbiernegev oak porternegranegra modelonekronnello's blondenelson imperialnelson sauvin lambicnelson sauvin saisonnen bangelijkeneon overlordneronew dogtownnew morningnew york lagernewcastle coffeenežinomas krantasniamh chinn oirnicholson's palenicholson's porternick + simon ipaniezłe ziółkonight beaconnight on mare st. 2night porternight timenightshiftnikšićkoninkasininkasi cream alenirvananissemornivardno joeno name oak n’ islayno sweatno. 161nobelanernoblenoble flobsnoble rotnoblessenomadnomád easy ridernoonernor'hopnor'westernorfolk lavender honeynorth riding mosaicnorth riding motuekanorth starnorthbound unnamednorthbridge extremenorthern starnorwegian woodnostra domusnot sonot so mildnota benenotoriousnovanovice blacknovoměstský pivovar světlynovoměstský pivovar tmavýnp10nudenugget nectarnut brownnut irish jinnnuttynutty blacknzpanøgne ø amber alenøgne ø citra ipanøgne ø dobbel ipanøgne ø imperial stoutnøgne ø imperial stout highlandnøgne ø ipanøgne ø pale alenøgne ø saisonnøgne ø witnøgne ø-dugges sahtinørrebro imperial portero'hanlon's dry stouto'hara's barley wineo'hara's blackberryo'hara's dunkelweizeno'hara's eastero'hara's grapefruito'hara's helleso'hara's hop adventure aramiso'hara's hop adventure galaxyo'hara's imperialo'hara's irish lagero'hara's natural blondeo'hara's perfect stormo'hara's smoked no. 1o'hara's spring saisono'neil bocko'neil bruneo'neil l'ambréeo'shea's dry hopped ambero'shea's goldeno'shea's irish aleo'shea's pale aleo'shea's sessiono'shea's spiced wintero'shea's wheato-paleoak wiseoak-a-colaoak-aged cranberry bastardoak-aged yetioak’d bruinobelixoberonobscuraobsidianocean ipaocean porteroceanicochtoberfest bockodell 90 shillingodell redodonata saisonodysseyodyssey 001oerbieroerbier special reservaoesterstoutoff the railsoffsetogoh yeah!ojustuffokell's redokocim paloneokocim porterokologisk classicoktoberfest märzenoktoberfreshola dubh 16old '95old americanold bear bruinold brown dogold burton extraold bushy tailold crafty henold danold disreputableold foghornold fordold gardeold grocers brownold guardianold hookyold jockold knuckerold legoverold manchesterold mephistoold mill winter warmerold nuttyold rasputinold slugold smokeold timberold townold wavertonianold winter aleolde tripolder viscosity 2009oldgottolfabrikken brownolfabrikken harvestolfabrikken porteroliver's islandolm pilsenerolympic goldolé oléommegangomnipollo leonon the razzon the wings of armageddononce upon a time 1838 xone for ronanone man orchestraongelovige thomasongemoutgraanop + topopa opa ipaopactwo olbrachtaopat chocolateopat pepperopat svetlýopat tmavýopenopen gate barrel beeropen gate botanical aleopen gate chocolate and vanilla stoutopen gate imperial dunkel weisseopen gate strawberry porteropen gate strong aleopen gate tropical ipaopus iiorange crushorange is the new blackoranje leeuwinorchidorganic cherryorganic chocolateoriginoriginal schlüsselorkney bestormeau darkoscuraoslo mikrobryggeri ipaospreyota mataotakar 11°other half ipaotley oxymoronotra vezotro mundo goldenottottakringer dunkelotter sbotwayoud beerselour special ale 2007our special ale 2008our special ale 2009outblackov-ralover the moonoverkillowl dayoxford goldoxmanoysteroyster 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hellesuniteuntouchableup and underup ‘n’ downupright blueberry stoutupright fiveupright fouruprisingur-pil’sur-weisseurbanurban hazeurbeurbock 23°urpiner tmavýursa minorursudursus blackusa hellsut på turutopianv censevagabondval-dieu goldenvalentinsvaliantvan vollenhovenvanderghinstevanilla + pistachio brownvapeur en folievarniukųvasaknaivaso de oro rubiavat 77vedett ipavedett whitevelvetvelvet merlinverboten vruchtversaversusvery nutty blackvesterbro ipavestfyen schwarzbiervestindiskvg goldenvi wheatvic secret smashvictoria bittervienna commonvienna redvieux tempsvigilantevigneronnevikingvillainousvilniaus kvietinisvilniaus nefiltruotasvilniaus tamsusis žoleliųvinificationviola leeviolent femmevirmalisedviruvisioenvitesse noirvivatviven aleviven bruinviven imperial ipaviven portervlad the bakervlees + bloedvollmondvote seppvoyagervoyager usvpavriendenw00tstoutw90wacker bräu hellwaggle dancewaikato draughtwakey wakeywalla wallawalloniawandering starwanderlustwandlewapping goldwapping 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american amberwicklow wolf belgian brownwicklow wolf belgian whitewicklow wolf ipawicklow wolf kentucky commonwidmer hefeweizenwiecksewieden bräu dunkleswieden bräu helleswieden bräu märzenwieden bräu whiskywiegeleirwiethaler hoptimumwijssenbockwilco tango foxtrotwild bat pilot 001wild boarwild irishwild riverwild sidewild swanwild westwild2wildcatwildemanwilfortwillekewilliam roscoewilliam wallace 80/william wallace alewilliamswilliams gingerwilliams goldwilliams redwillpowerwillywiltshire rum beerwindermere palewindhoekwinter koninckwinter loomswinter meltdownwinter solsticewinter spiritwinter timewinter traumwinter welcomewintercoat double hopwintercoat oatmealwinterkoninkskewinterse christoffel bokwinterse heerlijkheidwintersnoodwiper + true mosaicwiredwisdomwit goudwit or melonwithenswitkap pater doublewitnicki porter lubuskiewitte roswittekerkewittekerke roséwittkerke roséwizard's staffwlokienniczewobbly bootwolf 8wolfshöherwooden hand black pearlwookey jackwookiewoolpackerworkie ticketworld's endworthington eworthington's bitterwunderbarwyewyoming sheep ranchwytchmakerwädenswiler dunkelwüllners landbierx-mas zinnebirx-rayxanthoxinguxiquic and...xlxocovezaxsxt8xtra ipaxviixxx bitterxxx rogge tripelxxxxxxxxyauyuyakimayakima ipayakima redyakima sunyannaroddyyapai negra especialyardsmanyardsman doubleyardsman ipaye olde admiralyebisuyellow bellyyellow belly brown porteryellow belly pale aleyellow belly strong paleyellow hammeryellow monsteryellow snowyellow wolfyellowbelly amberyellowbelly barley wineyellowbelly belgian stoutyellowbelly blackcurrantyellowbelly brown aleyellowbelly hefeweissbieryellowbelly lageryellowbelly summeryellowbelly sweet stoutyerbayork 800yorkshire stingoyorkshire terrieryou cannot be seriousyou love usyouenjoymystoutyoung henrys real aleyuenglingyuleyule be sorryyuletideyūreizabobonzaccharinezang + notenzattezeezuiperzero degrees american ryezero degrees black lagerzero degrees mango wheatzero degrees pomegranatezeus black ipazillertalzinne birzippy redzlatý bažantzlatý bažant 10°zlatý bažant bockzlatý bažant tmavézniwa chmielarzyzodiak red ryezojizombierzombreakerzona cesarinizubrzure kersen bomzwaaien + zwierenzwarte pietzwarte riekzwiesel dampfbierzwönitzer rotblondeszythazythoszywiec porterzë germansà l'erable rougeälj-äjlårgangsøl 2012årstidòrach sileörebro bitterørbæk weissłomża export non-pasteurisedłomża unfilteredłowickie pale alešarišštěpán světlýštěpán tmavýšviesusžatecžatec baronkažatec strongThe Beer NutWhy is that man photographing his pint?http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)Blogger1373125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-2951853873246812003Fri, 09 Dec 2016 08:39:00 +00002016-12-09T10:13:45.357+00:00castawayguinness foreign extragung-hohandsome jackhope peach and blueberry souro'hara's leann folláinquiet riotTrouble and Hope<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qkvbS_ErRFY/WECHuJmxMZI/AAAAAAAALXk/Navdj0tiIaAB4zMCDJzL8K-J799Vhk8GgCLcB/s1600/trouble_brewing_gung-ho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qkvbS_ErRFY/WECHuJmxMZI/AAAAAAAALXk/Navdj0tiIaAB4zMCDJzL8K-J799Vhk8GgCLcB/s200/trouble_brewing_gung-ho.jpg" width="119" /></a>The brewery names sound good together, and they do have <a href="https://twitter.com/mnixon86" target="_blank">a brewer</a> in common, but otherwise this set is unrelated, demonstrating perhaps nothing more than the diversity of Irish beer these days.<br /><br />Trouble's <b>Gung-Ho</b>&nbsp;I found on draught in The Brew Dock last month. It was badged as a hopfenweisse, though this style councillor regards it as much more of a white IPA: it hosts a punch-up between spicy yeast flavours and bitter hops, resulting in a jarring soapy tangle of tastes that never settles down. It's a bit of a shame because, taken separately, the beer's different elements are lovely: there's a luscious soft wheatiness, a juicy peach aroma, and an invigorating fresh green bitterness, but there's no harmony and the drinking experience suffers as a result. Weissbier of any stripe should be smooth, and this is far too rough and pointy to fit into the genre.<br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qpKTQowlyvY/WEghl72DwfI/AAAAAAAALak/D6aYxogwTPsW8e41jf2EtR-c9tFRiKfDQCLcB/s1600/trouble_quiet_riot_pale_ale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qpKTQowlyvY/WEghl72DwfI/AAAAAAAALak/D6aYxogwTPsW8e41jf2EtR-c9tFRiKfDQCLcB/s200/trouble_quiet_riot_pale_ale.jpg" width="149" /></a>A few weeks later I found another recent Trouble special, <b>Quiet Riot</b>, installed on a cask engine at The Black Sheep. It's described on the badge as a pale ale and is bright orange with a slight murk, so I was expecting new world grapefruit and whatnot, but it's actually quite British-tasting, for reasons more than the dispense method, I think. There's a sweet jaffa aroma which shades toward Terry's Chocolate Orange: it has that sort of concentrated orangey oiliness. Then it tastes massively tannic, with a palate-scouring dryness worthy of the brownest of brown bitters. Behind this there's a satsuma sweetness, going perhaps far enough to resemble candied orange peel, while the finish brings in a big old fashioned hop bitterness given extra punch by the dryness. Unfortunately this is almost ruined by a poopy Brett off-flavour which I suspect is not part of the act and relates more to the cask having been tapped a whole week previously. Ignoring that element, what we have here is a pretty solid bittersweet English bitter, one that doesn't taste its strength.<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8kbSRARa7h4/WECHwh3jhmI/AAAAAAAALXo/EBYuw-Zt3f8IlevAYA0NNxUZA5t-MMPjgCLcB/s1600/hope_peach_blueberry_sour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8kbSRARa7h4/WECHwh3jhmI/AAAAAAAALXo/EBYuw-Zt3f8IlevAYA0NNxUZA5t-MMPjgCLcB/s200/hope_peach_blueberry_sour.jpg" width="128" /></a>Crossing over to Hope,&nbsp;<b>Peach &amp; Blueberry Sour</b>&nbsp;is the third in their Limited Edition series. The <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/08/in-barbie-world.html" target="_blank">previous two</a> were among the best beers I've tasted all year, so anticipation was obviously high. It's also the second sour co-production between Hope, YellowBelly and <a href="http://www.irishsourbeers.com/" target="_blank">Shane Smith</a>, and the first of those (YellowBelly's Castaway) was also magnificent. Quite the pedigree, all in all.<br /><br />It blushed out of the bottle, a cheery, rosy pink, forming only the briefest of foam tops. The aroma is a dessertish mix of fruit pie and jelly. The latter was very much to the fore when I took the first sip and got a hit of those sugar-coated sour jelly sweets. As well as the sour kick, there's a similar sort of indistinct fruit flavour. I would never be able to pick actual peaches and blueberries out of this, and it really lacks the lusciousness of Castaway's passionfruit, sacrificing it for a bigger tart hit. It's a decently tangy number, refreshing and drinkable, but nothing special this time.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F9kPW1rNZMI/WEcXjNB_IOI/AAAAAAAALZc/dmb7JsISgpQzB7izSLL0DLySh2yz83eFwCLcB/s1600/hope_export_stout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F9kPW1rNZMI/WEcXjNB_IOI/AAAAAAAALZc/dmb7JsISgpQzB7izSLL0DLySh2yz83eFwCLcB/s200/hope_export_stout.jpg" width="171" /></a></div>And a final beer which I'm wedging in following the Christmas Craft Fair at the Teeling Distillery on Saturday last. Hope were pouring and I had the opportunity to try Limited Edition number four, an <b>Export Stout</b>. It's a real return to form after the blip of no. 3: thick and sweet the way a 7.5% ABV stout should be, tasting first of treacle and chocolate but then balancing it with a serious old-world vegetal bitterness. While those two elements were see-sawing on my palate I caught just a glimpse of a lighter, more delicate, meadow flower perfume, a whisper of lavender in the otherwise dark and stormy big-stout flavours. It's beautifully done -- a proper stout-drinker's stout -- and one to rank alongside Leann Folláin and Guinness Foreign Extra, for as long as it lasts. <a href="https://twitter.com/desmcswiggan" target="_blank">Des</a> from Hope confirmed that limited means limited with this lot, though also that a new IPA, lighter than Handsome Jack, is on the cards for the new year. Can't wait.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/12/trouble-and-hope.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-4033961601589508394Wed, 07 Dec 2016 08:30:00 +00002016-12-07T09:30:22.314+00:00golden harvestgolden ratioperfect stormGolden, and "Golden"<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vkQJV_zWmFE/WCzHdUpgB-I/AAAAAAAALU0/UM4ekwCh81g6wOU9-iZArHcaC7Ix0KC4gCLcB/s1600/williams_bros_golden_ratio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vkQJV_zWmFE/WCzHdUpgB-I/AAAAAAAALU0/UM4ekwCh81g6wOU9-iZArHcaC7Ix0KC4gCLcB/s200/williams_bros_golden_ratio.jpg" width="129" /></a>Aldi held its annual Christmas tasting event for the meeja just before Halloween. There was nothing new or special on the beer front but an effort had been made with a few of the supermarket's regulars, including a couple from Williams Brothers I'd never had before. I scribbled some notes on the evening but took a bottle of each home to get a closer look at them here.<br /><br /><b>Golden Ratio</b>&nbsp;first, a 4% ABV golden ale though quite a dark, almost red, take on the style. The label copy heads me off by saying pure gold is slightly red -- so nyerr. The aroma is dry perfume, like talcum powder, and the texture soft and fluffy. Its flavour starts sweet, all golden syrup and spongecake, but a rising bitterness comes in behind it and builds to a hard spinach and cabbage finish. There's quite a lot going on for the strength, and served cold it's nicely refreshing.<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MZxSWpJ02fY/WCzHfX2-OHI/AAAAAAAALU4/sx662eDMvPseVlOqZ6Td4RUpiBlvJ_ONACLcB/s1600/williams_bros_perfect_storm_ipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MZxSWpJ02fY/WCzHfX2-OHI/AAAAAAAALU4/sx662eDMvPseVlOqZ6Td4RUpiBlvJ_ONACLcB/s200/williams_bros_perfect_storm_ipa.jpg" width="131" /></a>The other is <b>Perfect Storm</b>, a 4.5% ABV IPA using an impressive cocktail of Cascade, Mosaic and Southern Cross hops. No quibbling over goldness here: it's very definitely gold. I get sweat and honey on the nose, not that different from the perfume of the previous beer, but bigger and more sickly. The flavour adds in grapefruit chunks but doesn't undo the sickliness. There's an intense herbal bathsalts twang as well. I found this very tough to drink, in a way that something this light shouldn't be: the flavour just goes all over the place, never settling anywhere nice. This one is for your least popular relations only, this Christmas.<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-isaYlYiq_tw/WDrG2802mwI/AAAAAAAALWs/e5GY3Vi5pBwr4FPRJPzjhfdeo-zWCm61QCLcB/s1600/12_acres_golden_harvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-isaYlYiq_tw/WDrG2802mwI/AAAAAAAALWs/e5GY3Vi5pBwr4FPRJPzjhfdeo-zWCm61QCLcB/s200/12_acres_golden_harvest.jpg" width="141" /></a>Aldi recently held an Irish beer "festival", stocking a selection of beers from several local breweries. They didn't feature at the Christmas event but I did pick one up shortly afterwards. It's by 12 Acres Brewing which came to my attention <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-next-round.html" target="_blank">early last year</a>&nbsp;when it was still a client brewer. The unique selling point is that all the malt comes from the owners' own farm. Now the production brewery is up and running and a range of beers is on the way. This is the first of the brewery's own beers I've seen.<br /><br />It's called <b>Golden Harvest</b> and stretches the word in the opposite direction from Golden Ratio above: it's a very pale yellow with little by way of head. It smells pleasantly zesty, of lemons in particular, and there's a soft lemon bitterness in the flavour too, starting rounded and fruity but finishing on an almost puckering bite. Perhaps ironically there's not much malt character, looking behind the hops there's little more than a dry chalkiness, but fortunately it's not thin, as the super-low carbonation lends it a certain roundness and fullness. Overall I rather like it. At 4.3% ABV it's simple quaffable fun. Worth considering if there's still some around when you're building your Christmas stash.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/12/golden-and-golden.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-3365676174354373499Mon, 05 Dec 2016 08:50:00 +00002016-12-05T08:50:02.959+00:00bière de mielfull of hopskasteel baristamaster ipasession 4taras boulbaRandom BelgiansAfter a few years off the roster, my wife is once again making regular work trips to Brussels. And, legend that she is, this has meant a bit of a beery bonanza for me. Here are some recent examples of things she brought back and was kind enough to share.<br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RAPIS6lriWs/V95Q6k2sRQI/AAAAAAAALBY/CuX6p3DLUugz_YDQ7AS7HfjCW13mB8usgCLcB/s1600/kasteel_barista_chocolate_quad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RAPIS6lriWs/V95Q6k2sRQI/AAAAAAAALBY/CuX6p3DLUugz_YDQ7AS7HfjCW13mB8usgCLcB/s200/kasteel_barista_chocolate_quad.jpg" width="170" /></a>Kasteel's <b>Barista</b>&nbsp;was first out and I'm guessing this was created with an eye to the export market. "Chocolate Quad" is definitely written in an American accent. It's 11% ABV and, typically of Kasteel, tastes like all of it and more. Even before tasting there's an intensely sweet chocolate aroma and this follows straight through into the flavour which is unpleasantly sickly. By way of balance there's just a touch of wheaty breakfast cereal dryness, but it does little to counteract the building layers of hot mocha, adding an old coffee sweatiness to the syrupy chocolate. So, not a subtle beer. Maybe the brashness is deliberate, designed to appeal to the broes who'll chug an 11%-er and pretend to like it. Not me though. This beer needs to go away and calm down.<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sCa8TOb7mh0/V97ylPYojbI/AAAAAAAALEk/zbzY1SzPiPkslyBtGBX6T0Ke77WgYwdPQCLcB/s1600/senne_session_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sCa8TOb7mh0/V97ylPYojbI/AAAAAAAALEk/zbzY1SzPiPkslyBtGBX6T0Ke77WgYwdPQCLcB/s200/senne_session_4.jpg" width="151" /></a>Something much lighter to follow:&nbsp;<b>Session 4</b>&nbsp;is the abruptly-named collaboration between London's Brew By Numbers and Brussels's De La Senne, top notch operations both. Yes it's 4% ABV -- insanely low strength for Belgium -- and from looking at it I was expecting to see "east coast IPA" in the description: it's that sort of opaque pale yellow. That's where the similarity ends, however. It's billed as a blonde ale and that's how it smells: all cereals and honey. It's rather more complex on tasting, introducing a lovely moist melon fruitiness and a very slight hop acridity on the finish. This isn't a million miles from Senne's own classic pale ale Taras Boulba, though like Taras Boulba I think it would be even better if it cleaned the yeast out. But that's not the way of things in Belgium, or Bermondsey, for that matter. Onward!<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5JaQGzJErTY/V97ynSloOuI/AAAAAAAALEo/vqCSH6IQSJM0-rUAtezpg8eoOdEWkxLVgCLcB/s1600/het_nest_full_of_hops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5JaQGzJErTY/V97ynSloOuI/AAAAAAAALEo/vqCSH6IQSJM0-rUAtezpg8eoOdEWkxLVgCLcB/s200/het_nest_full_of_hops.jpg" width="155" /></a>The next beer lays its cards right on the table with the name: <b>Full of Hops</b>, a white IPA by Het Nest Brewery in northern Flanders. It's the pale lemon yellow of a typical witbier, hazy but much less so than the previous beer. I get a rather homebrewish twang from the aroma, a sort of earthy funk that I don't believe belongs in either wit or IPA. A big burst of fizz is the first impression in the gob, but behind this there's a rather cultured and elegant beer, with a dry prosecco grape character and then a more intense hop burn in the finish. White IPAs aren't normally my favourite beer style but this one dodges the soapy pitfalls rather well. Still smells rank though, which is unfortunate.<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BftQRii_z5I/V97yo8w3uYI/AAAAAAAALEs/gze0nRhKHEYXwDT7cBwF3t34Dc1VdGkLACLcB/s1600/dupont_biere_de_miel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BftQRii_z5I/V97yo8w3uYI/AAAAAAAALEs/gze0nRhKHEYXwDT7cBwF3t34Dc1VdGkLACLcB/s200/dupont_biere_de_miel.jpg" width="128" /></a>Enough craft messing, it's soberly traditional Dupont next, and their <b>Bière de Miel</b> organic honey beer. They've got their money's worth out of them bees as the end result is 8% ABV. It's a hazy pale orange colour and smells warm and sugary with that uniquely Belgian savoury yeast funk. I get more honeydew melon in this, but it's a <i>lot</i>&nbsp;more: intensely sweet. That turns to a distinctly honeyish perfume in the finish, one which fades off the palate in a mannerly, unsticky, way. As expected, this is a classically understated sort of honeybomb, showing off the key ingredient but not getting in the drinker's face with heavy amounts of booze or sugar. I don't know that I'd drink more than 250ml at a time but it's an entertaining sipper which leaves a pleasant wholesome warmth in the pit of the stomach.<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Puiai6sl04/V97yqQO7nlI/AAAAAAAALEw/toU3umnvDVUwmKrLNwIGaAMJZ10lA0JWgCLcB/s1600/viven_master_ipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Puiai6sl04/V97yqQO7nlI/AAAAAAAALEw/toU3umnvDVUwmKrLNwIGaAMJZ10lA0JWgCLcB/s200/viven_master_ipa.jpg" width="155" /></a>And lastly <b>Viven Master IPA</b>. I thought I'd covered this in my last Viven round-up back in 2012 but <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2012/10/its-living-thing.html" target="_blank">it turns out</a> I didn't. Having really liked the double IPA I was expecting big things from it. It's a muscular 7% ABV, though pale and innocent-looking in the glass. Quite a bit of alcoholic heat comes through in the aroma, with just a small element of juicy peach struggling to make itself heard. It really steps up to the mark in the flavour, however, where the soft stonefruit is right out at the front, backed by bitterer grapefruit and lime. The two sides work perfectly in tandem for a well-rounded classic US-style IPA experience, minus any crystal malt toffee, thankfully, and only a slight yeast burr serves to remind you that this is actually a Belgian. Like the honey beer, a building belly warmth is its legacy after it has departed from the palate.<br /><br />A bit of a ropey start to this lot but some lovely examples of the Belgian brewer's art here.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/12/random-belgians.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-3781414143999146433Fri, 02 Dec 2016 08:44:00 +00002016-12-02T08:44:08.526+00:00independent palejack smyth's goldjack smyth's stoutThey don't know Jack<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_Y5QkyHYuITM/Ro6AJvZMV8I/AAAAAAAAABk/ac9Da-rkJ1c/s1600/session.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Session logo" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084141934177179586" src="https://bp2.blogger.com/_Y5QkyHYuITM/Ro6AJvZMV8I/AAAAAAAAABk/ac9Da-rkJ1c/s400/session.jpg" style="margin-top: 0pt;" /></a>I had thought that 2016 was going to be the year of Dublin brewing but sadly there hasn't been the boom I anticipated. It's great that Hope is now in full production in Donaghmede, and the Stone Barrel/Third Circle joint venture must be nearing completion, but there's just one other new brewery: Jack Smyth's on the Greenhills Road.<br /><br />The brewery is an offshoot of Gallagher's Boxty House, a Temple Bar institution, serving potato pancakes to tourists since the 1980s. I'd never been in, but the promise of new Dublin-brewed beer was enough to get me over the threshold one evening last month. There's quite a decent selection of draught beers, with the two Jack Smyth's offerings at the front of the row of taps. I ordered <b>Jack Smyth's Gold</b>&nbsp;to begin with and watched as my server poured me a glass of Independent Brewing's Connemara Pale Ale. I tasted it just to be sure -- that unmistakable big grapefruit hit -- before bringing it back to the bar to ask another member of staff to change it for me.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iNKvz4gjoF8/WDNssXFUnnI/AAAAAAAALVs/BAlNm2RleVwu18zLtinYb3iFIOMArpv0ACLcB/s1600/jack_smyths_gold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iNKvz4gjoF8/WDNssXFUnnI/AAAAAAAALVs/BAlNm2RleVwu18zLtinYb3iFIOMArpv0ACLcB/s200/jack_smyths_gold.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>The Gold is a dark blonde ale, slightly hazy, and with a pleasant lemon cookie aroma. That biscuit effect is the first thing I noticed and there's also a warm Belgian-style fruity ester quality plus a solid kick of spinach bitterness in the finish. All of which would make for a lovely beer if they weren't also accompanied by a harsh soapy perfume flavour, one which brought laundry detergent to mind with every sip. Worst of all, the soapiness builds on the palate as the beer goes along, eventually dominating the whole flavour. A half of this was plenty for me.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VCSsN0xZxWE/WDNsucxc9iI/AAAAAAAALVw/awcrmAu394oYUaAXV6Jww-h8kk9-MD2QwCLcB/s1600/jack_smyths_stout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VCSsN0xZxWE/WDNsucxc9iI/AAAAAAAALVw/awcrmAu394oYUaAXV6Jww-h8kk9-MD2QwCLcB/s200/jack_smyths_stout.jpg" width="140" /></a>To follow, a half of <b>Jack Smyth's Stout</b>. They'd made a mess of my food order so this one was on the house while I waited. There was a bit of consternation when I asked what the ABV was: nobody knew and it wasn't written down anywhere. A phonecall was made. Somebody went to the cellar to check the label on the keg, and word eventually came back that it's 4.6% ABV. Now we know.<br /><br />I was happy that it wasn't served nitrogenated, although the head retention was very poor and it looked a bit sad in the glass. It smelled sweetly of treacle and caramel though the first impression on tasting was a very dry carbonic bite. There's a bit of milk chocolate and a mild metallic tang which together make for a passable flavour, but it's a little bit like first-effort homebrew: there's no depth to it and the body is thin, making it feel cheap. Not far away you can get far superior porters and stouts at JW Sweetman and The Porterhouse. Jack Smyth's has a bit of work to do to reach that standard, but that's where it should be aiming.<br /><br />The standard of Dublin porter is an issue that should concern every right-thinking drinker in this town. I often wonder what we lost when the city's medium-sized industrial breweries closed down during the great shake-out of Irish brewing between 1860 and 1960. For The Session this month, Stan Hieronymous is <a href="http://appellationbeer.com/blog/the-session-118-who-you-gonna-invite/" target="_blank">asking us</a> to pick four people, living or dead, to have dinner with, as well as the beers to be served. I'd love to have a director each from the Phoenix Brewery, Watkins, Findlater and The Anchor, from let's say 1890 when business was booming for all of them, to discuss the shape of the industry over a few pints of their respective porters. From our vantage point in the 21st century, the tumble of Dublin porter brewing towards a (brief) monopoly by 1950 seems inevitable, but I'm sure they didn't see it like that back then. What did they think was securing their place in the market? Could they have done anything differently and stayed afloat longer? Details of how these breweries operated is frustratingly scarce: it would be enlightening to get a first-person perspective on it. There might even be a lesson or two in there for Dublin's modern day brewers.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/12/they-dont-know-jack.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-7914446756779528142Wed, 30 Nov 2016 08:33:00 +00002016-11-30T08:33:05.517+00:00crafty brewing pale wheatBang for your buck<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YWLG-Qe5XiM/WBYTztaq8PI/AAAAAAAALM8/rm_CegoAoxIGKcOHKFpbUh_gYRaqIeWOgCLcB/s1600/crafty_brewing_american_style_pale_wheat_ale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YWLG-Qe5XiM/WBYTztaq8PI/AAAAAAAALM8/rm_CegoAoxIGKcOHKFpbUh_gYRaqIeWOgCLcB/s320/crafty_brewing_american_style_pale_wheat_ale.jpg" width="223" /></a>Rye River's <b>Crafty Brewing Company American Style Pale Wheat Ale</b>&nbsp;arrived in Lidl to much fanfare (and extensive shortages) in late October. I finally tracked some down in the Terenure branch, handed over my €2, and brought it home.<br /><br />Back in the old days (around 2007), American Wheat Beer meant a travesty of a style, brewed with a weissbier grist but a neutral ale yeast, resulting in an invariably boring grainy outcome. Nowadays, however, "American Style" anything is the signal to expect hops. This one is still using the neutral yeast, though, which I guess is why it's not badged as a hopfenweisse or white IPA.<br /><br />It's 5% ABV and the hazy orange colour of many an American pale ale. Cascade and Mosaic are the hops, the label helpfully tells us, and it smells enticingly of fresh mandarin and peach. The texture is a little thin for a wheat beer, but it's still nicely soft. Mosaic dominates the flavour with a major caraway seed savouriness and a touch of garlic behind. A little bit of mandarin juice rounds it off, then a pleasantly acidic hop residue burn remains in the aftertaste. It's certainly boldly &nbsp;flavoured, intense even, but is ultimately quite simplistic in its bombast.<br /><br />Overall I found it a little too savoury to be properly refreshing, and it's not the first Mosaic-heavy beer I've had that issue with. But it certainly fits in with the other big-flavoured Crafty Brewing beers, and for the price you definitely get your money's worth of hops.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/bang-for-your-buck.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-9214765099807822412Mon, 28 Nov 2016 08:45:00 +00002016-11-28T12:36:06.428+00:00citra palefor whom the sour trollsg'wayharvest aleharvest lagerlittle redpink freudqueen lizziesalubriousyellowbelly castawayA bigger BellyWexford's YellowBelly brewery descended on 57 The Headline for a tap takeover in early November, bringing as broad a selection as I've seen from one brewery at one of these events. And all, of course, with their distinctive badge artwork from in-house designer <a href="https://twitter.com/yellowbellypaul" target="_blank">Paul</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CSeULakogaY/WC4p7gWHfkI/AAAAAAAALVQ/9V14FS5sV5k-yc-Aw2K5X8QWnX93AKnQQCLcB/s1600/yellowbelly_taps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CSeULakogaY/WC4p7gWHfkI/AAAAAAAALVQ/9V14FS5sV5k-yc-Aw2K5X8QWnX93AKnQQCLcB/s640/yellowbelly_taps.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Naturally I started at the low end, with <b>Harvest Lager</b>, brewed using their own supply of Tipperary-grown Hersbrucker. The ABV is a concerning 3.9% and it's an extremely pale white-gold colour. And yet the body is surprisingly buoyant with a decent amount of candyfloss malt to get your teeth into. There's a real proper noble hop bitterness and a perfect crisp finish. I'm used to being aww-bless tolerant of Irish-hopped beers but this is just a damn decent lager however you look at it.<br /><br />A tapping mix-up meant I was given an unexpected glass of the companion piece: <b>Harvest Ale</b>. This one is extremely dry with a strong brown-bread-crust flavour. Not unpleasant, but a little odd. Bramling Cross is the homegrown hop, and I detected a small touch of raisin in lieu of the usual blackcurrant effect. I'd be hard-pressed to stick a style label on it but with all that dry husky grain I'd probably end up describing it as some kind of top-fermented kellerbier. It's that sort of rustic wholesomeness.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JuiUIB91x4s/WC4qjnvIHOI/AAAAAAAALVU/t86mOUnoCuQE_QFhoviygg2AzSwggo1fQCLcB/s1600/yellowbelly_pink_freud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JuiUIB91x4s/WC4qjnvIHOI/AAAAAAAALVU/t86mOUnoCuQE_QFhoviygg2AzSwggo1fQCLcB/s200/yellowbelly_pink_freud.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>But back to the lager. <b>Pink Freud</b> is in the Vienna style, though disappointingly yellow rather than pink. It tastes darker than it looks, however: with appropriate sweet and smooth melanoidins from the Munich and Vienna malts. The hops are rather muted and the finish is abrupt, both of which would be normal for the style, though I'm less sure about the rising alcoholic heat that started to creep in as it warmed. I think this one might still need a little therapy.<br /><br />The wooden spoon of the evening went to <b>Little Red</b>, a 3.9% ABV red ale. A sharply sweet strawberry flavour opens it, leading on to a harsh bitter roasted twang at the end. It's very thin as well, something which really accentuates the pointy edges and makes it harder to drink. While successfully avoiding the blandness trap, this ended up falling into a different one.<br /><br />No fancy name on <b>Citra Pale Ale</b>, a 4.8% ABV single-hopper. This is a hazy shade of yellow and has a huge zingy sherbet foretaste and a beautiful lemon rind bitterness for a finish. The middle is a little disappointing: there's a hollowness there, thinner and more watery than the strength would suggest. It does get more complex as it warms a little: the sherbet gets sweeter while the lemons turn dank, but it never manages to shake that thinness. Built for the session, I guess, but I'd like a bit more wallop.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8TehGfuna1E/WC4q4m4GHfI/AAAAAAAALVY/f4jGgrKIr_cQ6loRXOb06nUF7w63gOFWQCLcB/s1600/yellowbelly_for_whom_the_sour_trolls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8TehGfuna1E/WC4q4m4GHfI/AAAAAAAALVY/f4jGgrKIr_cQ6loRXOb06nUF7w63gOFWQCLcB/s200/yellowbelly_for_whom_the_sour_trolls.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>The much-renowned Castaway was on, and I enjoyed a note-free pint of that at the end, pleased to learn it'll be something of a regular. The other sour beer they brought was <b>For Whom The Sour Trolls</b>. Citra again, only 3.7% ABV, and an unattractive turbid brown colour. The flavour is <i>massive</i>: a super-sour mouth watering lemon pith smack up front; a chalky alkaline finish and the savoury yeast grit for balance. It sounds awful, like a bunch of brewing flaws strung together, but it works beautifully, scrubbing the palate clean and awakening the senses. Though missing many of the subtleties, it's the closest thing to jonge lambic I've tasted from an Irish brewery. I'd happily clear a stoneware jugful.<br /><br />On to the stronger stuff now. <b>G'way IPA</b>&nbsp;was making its début, a 6.7%-er with a big Colombus and Cascade bitterness. I got a seriously oily resinous aroma and a jaw-pinching acid bitterness followed by green cabbage and asparagus flavours. This is seasoned with an earthy, woody note, almost smoky with hints of mushroom and leaf mold. It's a <i>very </i>grown up sort of IPA, and tasty with it.<br /><br />The first draft of <b>Salubrious Stout</b>&nbsp;was also on. The main batch is currently ageing in a whiskey cask but this one was given a dose of whiskey-soaked chips instead. Despite being all of 9% ABV and very dark and dense, the stout character gets a bit lost under the sweet honeyish Irish whiskey and the corky oak flavour. If you prefer vanilla, honey and booze to coffee and chocolate this might suit, but it was out of kilter for my palate.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CNDNQBW159c/WC4rWBpaN7I/AAAAAAAALVc/KrRSPK6Z3n8_4dyhmscD8SDW0WwnWWUPQCLcB/s1600/yellowbelly_queen_lizzie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CNDNQBW159c/WC4rWBpaN7I/AAAAAAAALVc/KrRSPK6Z3n8_4dyhmscD8SDW0WwnWWUPQCLcB/s200/yellowbelly_queen_lizzie.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>And the evening's final new beer was <b>Queen Lizzie</b>, <a href="http://yellowbellybeer.ie/beer-type/queen-lizzy/" target="_blank">officially described</a> as an "Imperial English IPA", 8.3% ABV and served from the handpump as Her Majesty doubtless prefers. It's a clear and innocent gold colour but tastes shockingly hot at first. After a moment the nuances emerge: golden syrup malt and a spinach-like green bitterness. Three sips in I was utterly charmed by the roundness and smoothness, and looking for a fireplace to settle into it by. Yes, it's an English bitter at its core, but there are definite shades of barley wine and tripel around the edges.<br /><br />Hopefully, with YellowBelly's production moving out of the basement to a big-boy brewery, we'll see beers like this on a more regular basis, not just on special occasions. Props as always to The Headline for making this one possible.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-bigger-belly.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-3534673158530680670Fri, 25 Nov 2016 08:56:00 +00002016-11-28T13:18:54.927+00:008:01beer garden witbig red dipaflamin' redginger porterproject sour 2project sour 3rascals mint chocolatesocial hops #1st. mel's ipaOf Saints and Rascals<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rGHFjR3wJqk/WCzFVkj0jDI/AAAAAAAALUc/pARUO50o-bUOnTX5KggdUGcoNm5n88U0gCLcB/s1600/st_mels_ipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rGHFjR3wJqk/WCzFVkj0jDI/AAAAAAAALUc/pARUO50o-bUOnTX5KggdUGcoNm5n88U0gCLcB/s200/st_mels_ipa.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="116" /></a>There's much to catch up with as regards new Irish beer in recent months. Going all the way back to early October, St. Mel's were in town, occupying some of the taps in The Beerhouse for an evening. The new kid was <b>St. Mel's IPA</b>, which came with the warning that it's made to be sold in Longford. Which is fine: Longford people need IPA same as the rest of us. It's 5.2% ABV and a dark red colour. There's a wholesome density to it, warming, with an autumnal dark fruit kick on the end plus a touch of tannin. So an IPA in the strong English bitter mould then? Very much so. I happily downed a couple of pints of the kegged version but would love to try it on cask.<br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iGoUwz1jj-4/WCzFXt1S2vI/AAAAAAAALUg/e4PY92a_ooYzIJ0WAp2OsD8hriDQS4f2QCLcB/s1600/st_mels_beer_garden_wit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iGoUwz1jj-4/WCzFXt1S2vI/AAAAAAAALUg/e4PY92a_ooYzIJ0WAp2OsD8hriDQS4f2QCLcB/s200/st_mels_beer_garden_wit.jpg" width="136" /></a>The guys had also brought the last of this summer's <b>Beer Garden Wit</b>, a seasonal I completely missed last year. There's elderflower in this and it features in the flavour in a big way. Alongside it there are big and warming Belgian yeast esters which I wouldn't have marked down as particularly summery, but maybe they're less intrusive when the beer is served cooler. It left me looking for the clean refreshing edge that witbier can usually be relied upon for.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qqGN9phiel4/WCzFgoE2qVI/AAAAAAAALUo/QWmLppOCDa86qYyV1M1coorREctmXoNBwCLcB/s1600/rascals_social_hops_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qqGN9phiel4/WCzFgoE2qVI/AAAAAAAALUo/QWmLppOCDa86qYyV1M1coorREctmXoNBwCLcB/s200/rascals_social_hops_1.jpg" width="162" /></a>From an out-of-season beer to one that was right on time: Rascals <b>Social Hops #1</b>&nbsp;débuted in The Square Ball the following night. <a href="https://twitter.com/socialhops" target="_blank">Social Hops</a> is a community-based hop growing project, supported by the Bodytonic pub chain. The harvest was in mid-September and three weeks later there was a 4.5% ABV blonde ale on tap. The hops were all Prima Donna (except for a token bittering addition of something commercial) and the signature soft lemon flavour of this variety really shone, set on a lightly effervescent body and with a dry finish. It's, understandably, a subtle beer, but very drinkable and refreshing with it.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B9L3xYPBJyc/WCzFdFDad0I/AAAAAAAALUk/EB6W3ey1SwAnWc2vLGgyANRo_xPLiH30wCLcB/s1600/rascals_project_sour_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B9L3xYPBJyc/WCzFdFDad0I/AAAAAAAALUk/EB6W3ey1SwAnWc2vLGgyANRo_xPLiH30wCLcB/s200/rascals_project_sour_2.jpg" width="135" /></a>When not putting crowd-sourced hops to good use Rascals has also been continuing the sour beer series it began in September with The Hoppy One. <b>Project&nbsp;Sour No. 2</b>&nbsp;is subtitled <b>Seriously Saison</b>&nbsp;and is <i>very </i>saison. Peppery vapours drift up from the hazy gold beer, and it tastes very fruity -- I get plum and lychee in particular -- plus a spicy edge in the finish. There's only the briefest pinch of tartness in amongst this before the fruit esters take over the flavour once again. It's a decent saison but I wanted much more from the sourness.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DIbB5Rh4uhY/WDRe6wvFJeI/AAAAAAAALWE/7AUocw2bZuYk3hOmp1IAkqoNF2wXBvzYQCLcB/s1600/rascals_project_sour_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DIbB5Rh4uhY/WDRe6wvFJeI/AAAAAAAALWE/7AUocw2bZuYk3hOmp1IAkqoNF2wXBvzYQCLcB/s200/rascals_project_sour_3.jpg" width="123" /></a>I hoped I'd find that in <b>Project Sour No. 3</b>&nbsp;aka <b>Forest Fruit Sour</b>, and I sort-of did: there's a big punchy lactic sourness in the flavour of this clear purpley-pink beer. But in front of it there's an unsubtle candy-sweet syrup flavour which brings the blackberry, dark cherry and even blueberry notes into the equation. It really reminded me of the cheapo fruit lambics made by the industrial brewers of Belgium: they were what first interested me in sour beer and I have a soft spot for how they operate, but they're not exactly sophisticated. This beer does deliver what it promises: it is sour and really tastes of forest fruit, but I was looking for something more substantially complex.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jnT1zny1uCY/WCzGNSAKKVI/AAAAAAAALUw/1bcWpifXPd0chVAPaEmcFX3gorSqscFwACLcB/s1600/rascals_801_mint_choc_stout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jnT1zny1uCY/WCzGNSAKKVI/AAAAAAAALUw/1bcWpifXPd0chVAPaEmcFX3gorSqscFwACLcB/s200/rascals_801_mint_choc_stout.jpg" width="200" /></a>More recently, Rascals has also released an updated version of the Mint Chocolate Stout they were pouring at the RDS in September. The specific item of confectionery they're attempting to mimic is signalled by the name: <b>8:01</b>,&nbsp;and they've raised the ABV and general flavour levels. The end result is 6% ABV and has a lovely oily mint twang. At the launch event in (where else?) The 108, I got to try it nitrokegged side-by-side with the straight-carbonation canned version. And while the nitro one hasn't been stripped of its flavour, the dry roast crispness and fun milk chocolate sweetness are much more apparent in the cans. Like the Ginger Porter on which the brewery was founded, this never loses sight of the classic beer style at its roots, which is very much to its credit.<br /><br />And a footnote from Rascals: their Aussie-hopped Flamin' Red double IPA from last winter has been tweaked, rebadged and relaunched as <b>Big Red DIPA</b>&nbsp;but is still pretty much the same jammy spicy warmer it was before.<br /><br />That's it for now, with much more Irish beer to come <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-bigger-belly.html">next week</a>.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/of-saints-and-rascals.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-3867869718925059463Wed, 23 Nov 2016 08:50:00 +00002016-11-23T08:50:02.031+00:00cantillonfantôme chocolatGhost chilli<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uBnRg0P5y7w/V9xB30uo8wI/AAAAAAAALA4/qsYn7THU40Eq5g5NGS5HJIuSKhkeUmRbgCLcB/s1600/fantome_chocolat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uBnRg0P5y7w/V9xB30uo8wI/AAAAAAAALA4/qsYn7THU40Eq5g5NGS5HJIuSKhkeUmRbgCLcB/s320/fantome_chocolat.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>The beers of Brasserie Fantôme can be hit-and-miss, to say the least. And yet what often tastes like your mate's dodgy homebrew seems to have garnered a cult following around the beeriverse and I'm not sure why. I doubt it's the branding. Anyway, the missus brought a bottle of <b>Fantôme Chocolat</b> from Belgium a while back and we sat round one evening to give it a go. It's an 8% ABV saison with the addition of chocolate and chilli.<br /><br />Expecting something vaguely brown, I was surprised to get a bright orange beer out of the 75cl bottle. It poured flat at first, gradually forming a fine off-white head. It smells vaguely of chocolate, in a kind of artificial and sickly sort of way, though there's also a pleasant touch of white-pepper saison spice. The texture is thick and syrupy, not helped at all by the faint level of fizz. There's a certain spice to it but I can't for certain attribute that to the chilli, in fact it seems very typical of this sort of Belgian yeast. A degree of warmth does settle in the belly after a couple of mouthfuls and I'd be reasonably confident that that's where the chilli action happens. It doesn't taste of chocolate at all.<br /><br />This is very much a saison through and through, and not a particularly good one, in my opinion, being too hot and heavy. The special ingredients don't do much to steer the experience one way or another. €13 for a bottle of this, in a town where the same amount of Cantillon gueuze costs a fiver? Thanks but no thanks.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/ghost-chilli.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-2807218088628601210Mon, 21 Nov 2016 08:05:00 +00002016-11-21T08:05:01.450+00:00bigfootbogmangalway hooker double ipalimerick ladyTrans-Shannon exportsOn the <a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/09/round-ireland-with-thirst-part-3-galway.html" target="_blank">daytrip to Galway</a> back in July I managed to sneak a look-in at the Fine Wines off licence just down the street from The Salt House. In there I grabbed a handful of local beers I hadn't seen around Dublin to take home with me.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V2X5KxOV-oo/V8xOc_bXdOI/AAAAAAAAK8c/g-LLbXFRE98s8OQaW3iItFxc85gV4q9fACLcB/s1600/spiddal_river_bogman_irish_craft_ale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V2X5KxOV-oo/V8xOc_bXdOI/AAAAAAAAK8c/g-LLbXFRE98s8OQaW3iItFxc85gV4q9fACLcB/s200/spiddal_river_bogman_irish_craft_ale.jpg" width="143" /></a></div>First up is the charmingly named <b>Bogman</b>&nbsp;from Spiddal River Brewery. "Spiddal River Brewery is based in Spiddal, Co. Galway" says the label, and also that the beer is "Designed in Galway... product of Ireland", indicating that Spiddal River isn't a brewery at all. As far as I know the beer comes from Trouble Brewing, closer to home in Kildare. It's 4.9% ABV and an unattractive murky orange-amber colour, putting me immediately in mind of those rough-and-ready brewpub beers you get in central and eastern Europe.<br /><br />&nbsp;A slightly short fill on the bottle left it low in carbonation, and pleasantly so, with a nice cask texture. Though self-described as a "US pale ale" it is extremely sweet, showing a big malty Ovaltine flavour at the front and even a kick of milk chocolate. The hop flavours are almost non-existent, so as a pale ale it's nearly a total failure. The label also describes it as "earthy" and although the suspended yeast doesn't really get in the way, I could just about see how you would describe it as earthy. "Rustic" is the word I'd use. It's not a beer designed to impress the cosmopolitan beer enthusiast, that's for sure, but I guess the name makes that clear from the outset.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-22xasUMcbcg/V8xfrg3FX-I/AAAAAAAAK8o/T1hD1tj0-oUwfHTxZAQxSjOC9u0jJOvAwCLcB/s1600/limerick_city_brewery_limerick_lady_irish_pale_ale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-22xasUMcbcg/V8xfrg3FX-I/AAAAAAAAK8o/T1hD1tj0-oUwfHTxZAQxSjOC9u0jJOvAwCLcB/s200/limerick_city_brewery_limerick_lady_irish_pale_ale.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>I follow it with <b>Limerick Lady Irish Pale Ale</b>&nbsp;from&nbsp;Limerick City Brewery, which doesn't exist either. The brewery pictures they've posted online look like the old Brú brewhouse so I'd take a punt on it being produced there, which would make it another Leinster beer in disguise. It's a similar unpleasant murky brown colour though a tiny bit stronger than the last one at 5% ABV and, oh, is that hops I smell? There's quite an English hop aroma -- slightly metallic -- though also a worrying marker-pen note.<br /><br />It's all bait-and-switch because neither of these elements show up in the flavour. That has a floral sweetness, a savoury yeast bite, and a harsh melted plastic off-flavour. Not a winning combination. This tastes cheaply put-together and rushed out of the brewery: especially strange for a company that's presumably trying to build a reputation for itself as it gets going. At the same time, however, a cursory glance at Untappd yields not a single negative review, proving my theory that it's impossible to go out of business as an Irish brewer by making substandard beer. There's always a market for your product, regardless of how shoddy it is. Which is depressing, but moving on...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lSYu9R0FDj0/V8yo0otTU1I/AAAAAAAAK84/yhI-Y_mLuaELzwWrSS7mKpr_y264T46AwCLcB/s1600/galway_hooker_double_ipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lSYu9R0FDj0/V8yo0otTU1I/AAAAAAAAK84/yhI-Y_mLuaELzwWrSS7mKpr_y264T46AwCLcB/s200/galway_hooker_double_ipa.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>Finally a beer whose provenance is in no doubt.&nbsp;<b>Galway Hooker Double IPA</b>&nbsp;was definitely brewed in Galway and commemorates the tenth anniversary of the brewery opening for business. In Roscommon. Er. It's a downright handsome clear dark amber colour with a heavy aroma of big boozy malt pierced through by citric hops. The first sip brings... density. It's a trifling 8.6% ABV but feels a point or two above that. Bigfoot territory. Chewy malt is the main feature, then a supporting cast of harsh metallic bitterness, biting grapefruit acidity and a greener spinach and cabbage vibe. It doesn't sound very new-world at all, but there's a lightness of touch about it, a smoothness and a quickness in the finish that keeps it nicely drinkable while also being an unmistakable high-alcohol powerhouse.<br /><br />This is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a beer for special occasions. Something to be taken out and shared, or reverentially sipped. All of its different flavour elements come through clear and clean, despite the big boozy blanket on top of them. Both of the other beers have a lot to learn from the way Hooker turns out its product.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/trans-shannon-exports.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-435280009239358997Fri, 18 Nov 2016 08:06:00 +00002016-11-18T08:13:29.648+00:00lupuloidneon overlordGet your shades on<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gpR6kIdMTs4/WBpon7D_EgI/AAAAAAAALNQ/YKxvX3FIwpoblK5vIjcHl6DCFt0KsEQJgCLcB/s1600/brewdog_neon_overload.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gpR6kIdMTs4/WBpon7D_EgI/AAAAAAAALNQ/YKxvX3FIwpoblK5vIjcHl6DCFt0KsEQJgCLcB/s200/brewdog_neon_overload.jpg" width="154" /></a>The rise of the craft beer can has provided a big opportunity for graphic designers and the brewers who commission their work. I suspect that this in turn is leading to a bit of a promotional arms race between companies as they battle for the customers' attention from the crowded shelves, a bit like what has happened with keg fonts over the last decade. While perusing the cans in a local off licence recently I couldn't help but be drawn to today's subjects, both garishly illustrated in a way to grab the drinker's attention and not let go. And in this instance it worked. Ring 'em up!<br /><br />First to be popped open is BrewDog's <b>Neon Overlord</b>&nbsp;with its neon overload imagery. The beer, a 7.3% ABV IPA with added mango, coriander and habanero chilli, is a clear pale yellow and has a pleasant resinous aroma, plus some non-specific tropical fruit and a savoury background. So far so fun but the first sip brings out a hard, powdery, plastic chilli burn. It's disappointing because there really is a decent, well-constructed IPA underneath, one with a lovely peach-skin mix of fruit and bitterness, though maybe laying on the sweet pulpy mango a little too heavily. But that's a minor quibble compared to this idiot chilli pepper dancing in front of it, spoiling the view. I'll grant that it does leave a lovely belly warmth which almost excuses it, but that flavour is like being pepper sprayed in the face with each mouthful. I can't believe anyone would want a beer that does its best to punish them. Weird and utterly discordant, it's IPA childishly ruined.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--cgw2iEJNrQ/WBpor71qMnI/AAAAAAAALNU/GQzg97Wnbeogup3Vk1UnYDkMGU6ZmBptwCLcB/s1600/beavertown_lupuloid_ipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--cgw2iEJNrQ/WBpor71qMnI/AAAAAAAALNU/GQzg97Wnbeogup3Vk1UnYDkMGU6ZmBptwCLcB/s200/beavertown_lupuloid_ipa.jpg" width="159" /></a>Not as fluorescent but still headache-inducing is the can for&nbsp;<b>Lupuloid</b>, a recent addition to Beavertown's line-up. It's big on graphic and low on information so all I know before opening it is it's an IPA and 6.7% ABV. Inside it's an attractive bright pale gold with just a slight haze to it. The aroma is an exotic blend of honeydew, mango and a touch of squeaky green spring onion. This savoury quality absolutely dominates the flavour, turning to caraway seed at the front, and then a leafy cabbagey bitterness in the finish, fading out into a metallic pencil sharperner tang. Juicy it is not. While far from as severe as the Overlord fella I couldn't really get into this. It feels to me like there's a fruit deficit, which amounts to a fun deficit. All the joy appears to be confined to that artwork.<br /><br />It was the artwork that made me buy them together but these IPAs do have quite a bit in common: their light and breezy appearance, a strength circling 7% ABV, and a great aroma followed by a very disappointing taste. Perhaps this is the fashion now. If so, at least it's clearly signalled on the tin so I can try to avoid it.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-your-shades-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-2799091045988233375Wed, 16 Nov 2016 08:40:00 +00002016-11-16T08:40:21.797+00:00capitol pale ridercheque pleasedistrict chophouse amberdistrict chophouse ipadistrict chophouse nut browndistrict chophouse oatmeal stoutjames' peachysmoketoberfestthe cursed gourdThe last brewpubs<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ij3tGyuYn0/WB4NfGZme6I/AAAAAAAALTQ/kOfzG66eP2oAowFxItL0yVWWZMCHHi0FACLcB/s1600/district_chophouse_bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ij3tGyuYn0/WB4NfGZme6I/AAAAAAAALTQ/kOfzG66eP2oAowFxItL0yVWWZMCHHi0FACLcB/s320/district_chophouse_bar.jpg" width="318" /></a>As I mentioned on <a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/capital-scoops.html" target="_blank">Monday</a>, Washington DC isn't exactly a full-spectrum, multi-faceted beer destination, but it does have beer. I really wasn't expecting much from its brewpubs: the two I visited both seemed to be the sort of flashy urban destinations which are not set up with the beer connoisseur in mind and, one suspects, have brewing kits partly as a novelty and partly as a cheap source of product. But I'm delighted to say I completely misjudged them both.<br /><br />District Chophouse we came upon after an epic day's trudge around the National Mall, finishing up behind the Capitol Building and heading back to the centre. It's quite a grand affair, with clubby dark wood fittings trimmed with barbershop red and white. The brewkit is tucked neatly away on a gantry above what looks like a cocktail bar more than a beer servery. It's very much a restaurant primarily, but there's a high-seated bar enclosure and, happily, it was Happy Hour.<br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MZVwXaxN8fw/WB4OCLe7jzI/AAAAAAAALTU/shWvl-arWrQu8fI1SAbG94FIZ0jsEAWggCLcB/s1600/district_chophouse_ipa_cheque_please.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MZVwXaxN8fw/WB4OCLe7jzI/AAAAAAAALTU/shWvl-arWrQu8fI1SAbG94FIZ0jsEAWggCLcB/s200/district_chophouse_ipa_cheque_please.jpg" width="198" /></a>Lager was needed and lager was ordered: the house pils called <b>Cheque Please</b>. "Ubber hopped" said the menu, whatebber that means. There was a welcoming pillow of foam in the glass, and a bang-on fresh grass aroma. The flavour, however, is a bit of a curate's egg: starting off great with more spicy grass and a balancing sweetness that begins calling Pilsner Urquell to mind, before it banishes such high notions with an acrid plasticky stickiness that's best just quaffed past as quickly as possible. It did the job as a thirst-quencher, even at a substantial 5.4% ABV, but it's not a good pils.<br /><br />Meanwhile, <b>District Chophouse IPA</b>&nbsp;is also a big guy at 6.8% ABV. It's pale copper and gives out a fun fruit candy aroma. I was expecting sweet 'n' mediocre but this has a cheeky kick of dank resins in the flavour, mixing it with gentle citrus and a spicy seasoning. Basically it touches on all the good points of IPA without going all-out for any of them, and it makes for very pleasant drinking. It's kinda what a house IPA should be.<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0WSXy4o4C1I/WB4ODvvMguI/AAAAAAAALTY/kRFOlB3Fm4QEFCavcrvV6rvZAZuydc3rwCLcB/s1600/district_chophouse_oatmeal_stout_amber_ale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0WSXy4o4C1I/WB4ODvvMguI/AAAAAAAALTY/kRFOlB3Fm4QEFCavcrvV6rvZAZuydc3rwCLcB/s200/district_chophouse_oatmeal_stout_amber_ale.jpg" width="200" /></a>The <b>District Chophouse Amber Ale</b>&nbsp;is 5.4% ABV and in the "North Western style". No, me neither. I ordered it feeling emboldened by the IPA and what arrived was clear but dark brown, with an oily hop-perfume nose. The flavour is bang-on how I like my American amber ales: a brightly sweet and nutty marzipan combination, with just enough of a bitter edge -- like aspirin, in this case -- to keep the malt from overwhelming it. The light texture helps too. I didn't meet very many amber ales that suited me on the trip so I was very glad to make the acquaintance of this one.<br /><br />Getting the main points of the style right didn't work so well when it came to <b>District Chophouse Oatmeal Stout</b>. These, in general, have a tendency to taste phenolic to me, with marker pen and putty off flavours spoiling beers that other people seem able to enjoy. And so it was here. Though only 6.6% ABV it tasted far stronger, hot like an immature imperial stout. The texture was appropriately smooth, and the finish nicely quick, but it's definitely not brewed to my taste. Moving on to...<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cVtdU_L052s/WB4OanE7OgI/AAAAAAAALTc/QPKGGOagYUwSJUI0BJKbvC6RioaO1kNIwCLcB/s1600/district_chophouse_nut_brown_ale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cVtdU_L052s/WB4OanE7OgI/AAAAAAAALTc/QPKGGOagYUwSJUI0BJKbvC6RioaO1kNIwCLcB/s200/district_chophouse_nut_brown_ale.jpg" width="149" /></a><b>District Chophouse Nut Brown Ale</b>, 5.5% ABV, a chestnut red colour and with a rich milk chocolate flavour which incorporates some drier dark grain husks. There's a lovely comforting, warming creamy texture which came through well despite the very cold temperature at which it was served. A real classic brown ale, as shouldn't be surprising by this point, and strongly reminscent of the excellent one that <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2011/01/mild-at-heart.html" target="_blank">Messrs Maguire used to brew</a> when Melissa Camire was at the helm.<br /><br />The DC visit, and indeed the whole holiday, wrapped up at Capitol City Brewing where we stopped for an early lunch between the final museum and the airport taxi. This is an enormous space, with a bar in the round and dining on various tiered levels up from it. It was too packed to drink in when we first visited, and closed for a private party the second time, but at noon on a Tuesday we had it almost to ourselves. Perfect.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LfcoXjrgLnQ/WB4O-SsUiaI/AAAAAAAALTk/aN-cvW7-2BIxgkB0mCx_puxW959UmH8pQCLcB/s1600/capitol_smoketoberfest_james_peachy_ipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LfcoXjrgLnQ/WB4O-SsUiaI/AAAAAAAALTk/aN-cvW7-2BIxgkB0mCx_puxW959UmH8pQCLcB/s200/capitol_smoketoberfest_james_peachy_ipa.jpg" width="200" /></a>Throwing caution to the wind for this last lap I had the rauchbier, <b>Smoketoberfest</b>. It's the beautiful clear gold colour of a classic Märzen and has the same full body and bready background flavour, though the ABV is rather higher than expected at 6.6%. The hops are definitely German too, with that green weedpatch flavour that can be very pleasant in small enough doses. Here it gets counterbalanced by just a whiff of fresh smokiness in the centre, leading to a fun bacon-like finish. They've managed to resist the urge to go all-out with the smoke here and have produced a beer that's a classic lager first and everything else as a bonus. I liked it a lot.<br /><br />The murky orange yoke next to it is <b>James' Peachy IPA</b>. This <i>smells</i>&nbsp;like one of those fruit-flavour IPA abominations but mercifully doesn't taste like one. It has been quite substantially bittered and the advertised hop is Amarillo, giving it a lovely clean citrus bite. Invigorating stuff, and nicely approachable too at just 5.6% ABV.<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WZOhwSwiPSg/WB4PobdpgEI/AAAAAAAALTo/oyQGrlTyzcERowRw-UN1l6w2zOYkYTKOgCLcB/s1600/capitol_cursed_gourd_porter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WZOhwSwiPSg/WB4PobdpgEI/AAAAAAAALTo/oyQGrlTyzcERowRw-UN1l6w2zOYkYTKOgCLcB/s200/capitol_cursed_gourd_porter.jpg" width="155" /></a>I continued to dare myself to try beers I thought would be terrible, and my last beer in America was a pumpkin porter, aptly named <b>The Cursed Gourd</b>. There's butternut squash in it too, for extra Halloween horror. But, like the smoked lager, this places its classic style ahead of novelty and, though a surprising pale ruby colour, has bags of burnt roasted grain and chewy dark treacle, as you might expect to find in any porter of 6.6% ABV. And yes there's cinnamon and ginger, lots of them, but they don't spoil the base beer, instead succeeding in making it more fun. Take that, pumpkin beer haterz.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BnLzfj61_Oc/WB4PqGgROwI/AAAAAAAALTs/CZP3aYkj1hQBfyAo1lZfA01Ymk3usvYvACLcB/s1600/capitol_pale_rider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BnLzfj61_Oc/WB4PqGgROwI/AAAAAAAALTs/CZP3aYkj1hQBfyAo1lZfA01Ymk3usvYvACLcB/s200/capitol_pale_rider.jpg" width="133" /></a>And a hop bomb to go out on:&nbsp;<b>Pale Rider</b>, Capitol's 6.3% ABV pale ale. Columbus and Centennial are doing the work here, giving it a heady aroma of orange oil and pith. Plenty of pith in the flavour as well: a classic American grapefruit bitterness right up front, though it does tail off to a little bit of a watery finish, perhaps a consequence of making it all hop and little malt. I still liked it, though: a good example of how to do one-dimensional hop-forward beers well.<br /><br />And that's your lot from the USA. I hope the last dozen posts have been some way interesting or useful. Normal service will resume at my beer fridge on Friday. Bring snacks.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-last-brewpubs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-6998930873685094171Mon, 14 Nov 2016 08:04:00 +00002016-11-16T09:21:01.782+00:00apexbell's brett berlinercellar doorcitizenduckpinescape to coloradofeed the monkeygrapefruit sculpinnoble rotnorthern lightson the wings of armageddonCapital scoops<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GZjv-bvJ6Aw/WB4GkArBZyI/AAAAAAAALSU/Mdj14-4eOHIAeISA9kS1HmpHZGd0AB4NACLcB/s1600/national_mall_washington.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GZjv-bvJ6Aw/WB4GkArBZyI/AAAAAAAALSU/Mdj14-4eOHIAeISA9kS1HmpHZGd0AB4NACLcB/s320/national_mall_washington.jpg" width="254" /></a>If you can go the whole taxi ride from Ronald Reagan airport to downtown Washington DC without the theme from&nbsp;<i>House of Cards</i>&nbsp;playing in your head you have better self-control than me. The American capital was the third and final stop on my autumn tour of the USA, and it was much more about the museums and monuments than the beer. The sights are conveniently clustered along the National Mall making it very easy to hop from one to the next. The downside is that the planners haven't allowed for the normal functions of a city -- bars, restaurants and whatnot -- in between. So beering in DC tended to be a separate activity at the end of the day, rather than interspersed as I'd prefer.<br /><br />Our accommodation for the couple of nights was placed in between the touristy and governmental bit in the south of the city and a good eating and drinking quarter further north. My top find was The Logan Tavern, the sort of good quality, good value neighbourhood restaurant that I'd hoped to find a lot of in America but turned out to be in short supply wherever I went. We ate here twice, affording the opportunity to get properly acquainted with its beer list.<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QXj_lmVJ7jQ/WB4HAX2LHLI/AAAAAAAALSY/3SmH5Tyvv8QrYT878uMkG18lHb9jSyAAACLcB/s1600/starr_hill_northern_lights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QXj_lmVJ7jQ/WB4HAX2LHLI/AAAAAAAALSY/3SmH5Tyvv8QrYT878uMkG18lHb9jSyAAACLcB/s200/starr_hill_northern_lights.jpg" width="131" /></a>The first beer I ordered wasn't a new tick: <b>Northern Lights IPA</b>&nbsp;by Virginia brewery Starr Hill had <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2010/08/of-significant-import-part-1.html">showed up</a> at the 2010 Great British Beer Festival. It was much better on keg and closer to the source: still pretty full-on with the brassy bitterness but with an added peachy complexity that improves it massively.<br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iPkhrsNoabk/WB4HQRtLPpI/AAAAAAAALSc/bl7uWlEVyH40XIcpqvlCpNdvFmbsikp6wCLcB/s1600/dc_brau_citizen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iPkhrsNoabk/WB4HQRtLPpI/AAAAAAAALSc/bl7uWlEVyH40XIcpqvlCpNdvFmbsikp6wCLcB/s200/dc_brau_citizen.jpg" width="130" /></a>DC Brau is a well-established local outfit, and the first of theirs I tasted was called <b>Citizen</b>, a 7% ABV Belgian-style pale ale. It's hazy orange and has a marmalade aroma, mixing bitter jaffa peel with old-world spices. There's a nicely smooth texture and it incorporates lots of very Belgian fruity esters, though does get a little overly sweet and boozy as it goes along. A smidge more balancing hops would be good, I reckon.<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--JTIhBVUF3E/WB4HvJjYKDI/AAAAAAAALSk/xi8epyXjHNwb9F28b5IaU5yphNOY59aQwCLcB/s1600/duckpin_pale_ale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--JTIhBVUF3E/WB4HvJjYKDI/AAAAAAAALSk/xi8epyXjHNwb9F28b5IaU5yphNOY59aQwCLcB/s200/duckpin_pale_ale.jpg" width="161" /></a>I thought I was in for another sticky orange experience with <b>Duckpin Pale Ale</b>. It certainly smelled heavy and cloying, despite being only 5.5% ABV. But the flavour and texture both proved to be a surprise: it's lightly effervescent with a solid hop bitterness behind the citrus high notes. A really well-executed pale ale that lets you think you're drinking something much stronger.<br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I3DqrLsCwF4/WB4HwrzjZvI/AAAAAAAALSo/X90SBgpjXsofHvT-UVWXeIMZcacYQxwUgCLcB/s1600/jailbreak_feed_the_monkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I3DqrLsCwF4/WB4HwrzjZvI/AAAAAAAALSo/X90SBgpjXsofHvT-UVWXeIMZcacYQxwUgCLcB/s200/jailbreak_feed_the_monkey.jpg" width="120" /></a>And a weissbier to finish: <b>Feed the Monkey</b>&nbsp;from Jailbreak Brewing, in Maryland. This presents like a witbier, being a hazy pale yellow, and tastes like one too: a sharp squirt of lemon zest that's very out of keeping for a German-style hefeweizen. The other bit of complexity is a waft of diesel which suggests to me beer that's still a bit green. The lack of weissbier smoothness and roundness is probably the biggest let down, especially since it should be plenty strong enough at 5.6% ABV. As a beer it's just about OK but it's strange for a style spec as straightforward as this to be completely missed by the brewer in charge.<br /><br />Just around the corner from The Logan is Washington's most famous craft beer bar: Church Key. This is a roomy first-floor attic above the Birch &amp; Barley restaurant, owned by the same people and with which it shares its very substantial beer menu.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3rmDCL7ShU0/WB4Ia3qmc6I/AAAAAAAALSs/Y0lc4lspp3YBud63lV5Ugdehbm3cSpOeACLcB/s1600/ballast_point_grapefruit_sculpin_bells_brett_berliner_weisse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3rmDCL7ShU0/WB4Ia3qmc6I/AAAAAAAALSs/Y0lc4lspp3YBud63lV5Ugdehbm3cSpOeACLcB/s200/ballast_point_grapefruit_sculpin_bells_brett_berliner_weisse.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L: Grapefruit Sculpin; R: Bell's Brett</td></tr></tbody></table>Trusty old Bell's of Kalamzaoo was the first brewery on the menu to catch my eye and I ordered their <b>Brett Berliner Weisse</b>. It's an ugly beast, arriving murky, headless and flat. The farmyard funk is right up front and sets the tone for the rest of the beer; an acidic tartness reduced to just a quick flash across the palate before it all tails off into watery silence. I've no problem with interesting flavour additions to Berliner weisse but this one just wasn't interesting enough; and may even have been a waste of a decent base beer. Bring back the fruit syrup.<br /><br />Herself picked Ballast Point's iconic <b>Grapefruit Sculpin</b>. I wasn't a big fan of <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2014/12/gulpin.html" target="_blank">the original</a>&nbsp;and this isn't much of an improvement. The real grapefruit bitterness does help offset the massive toffee rather better but everything that's wrong with Sculpin is still wrong with this: too sticky, too harsh, too difficult to drink.<br /><br />DC Brau's <b>On The Wings Of Armageddon</b>, conversely, does hot 'n' hoppy rather better. This double IPA is 9.2% ABV but despite the monstrous name and monstrous strength has a subtle flowery aroma while the flavour offers a big but gentle lemon zest quality, suggesting the use of Sorachi Ace hops. It's properly heavy and sippable, like a double IPA should be, but like the best ones it's not hot or cloying. Others may find it a bit of a lightweight but it sat perfectly with me.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tk48V38ofBg/WB4JOn0fPKI/AAAAAAAALS0/HvB_nwf1-Pgd9ec-Wfn77mid9g_m1sb_ACLcB/s1600/stillwater_cellar_door_saison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tk48V38ofBg/WB4JOn0fPKI/AAAAAAAALS0/HvB_nwf1-Pgd9ec-Wfn77mid9g_m1sb_ACLcB/s200/stillwater_cellar_door_saison.jpg" width="125" /></a>All these beers at Church Key were really just filling in the time it took me to leaf through the cinderblock of a bottle list. I eventually settled on Stillwater's <b>Cellar Door</b>, a saison with added sage. It's a big 6.6% ABV and a hazy yellow colour. At the core it's a light and breezy lemon-and-straw farmhouse beer with just a mild oily lacing of sage. It offers a pleasant mix of sweet and savoury: on the one hand easy drinking but I couldn't help feeling that each part could do with being turned up a little. Nevertheless it's perfectly enjoyable and neither overly saisonish nor in any way gimmicky.<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqIQ8SIjZ_s/WB4J0dILZGI/AAAAAAAALS4/Cwli-IAidtUKDlEsJyc0hbqrdThFct5JwCLcB/s1600/dogfish_head_oak-aged_noble_rot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqIQ8SIjZ_s/WB4J0dILZGI/AAAAAAAALS4/Cwli-IAidtUKDlEsJyc0hbqrdThFct5JwCLcB/s200/dogfish_head_oak-aged_noble_rot.jpg" width="126" /></a>Also nearby there was a branch of the Whole Foods supermarket chain which became a handy source of supplies for the apartment, including beer. First to pique my interest from the large selection here was <b>Oak-Aged Noble Rot</b>&nbsp;from Dogfish Head: I do like a bit of botrytis now and then. The base beer is a saison though it's a stonking 9% ABV, and I got the dry saison straw in the aroma, alongside the sweet white grapes. The flavours line-up in this fashion too, starting dry and grainy, then with a Shloer-like grape sweetness. Which is fine until the oak kicks in, big and nasty, turning the whole thing into a 1980s Chardonnay experience. As it warms, the alcohol becomes more pronounced and by the end I was tasting Calvados and lamp oil. This beer needs some dialling back: the concept is sound, but there's so <i>much </i>concept going on it interferes with the quality.<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UbqejDgq80o/WB4J1_q-xMI/AAAAAAAALS8/zq9F-VG0Rfg99AQozgu5HCsboqNanrS6gCLcB/s1600/epic_escape_to_colorado.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UbqejDgq80o/WB4J1_q-xMI/AAAAAAAALS8/zq9F-VG0Rfg99AQozgu5HCsboqNanrS6gCLcB/s200/epic_escape_to_colorado.jpg" width="137" /></a>I bought a six-pack of <b>Escape to Colorado</b>, an IPA by Epic brewing of Colorado, formerly of Utah, and not to be confused with the New Zealand operation of the same <strike>cliché</strike> name. It's 6.2% ABV, pale yellow and absolutely <i>roaring</i>&nbsp;with Mosaic. You know when you peel an onion and under the brown papery skin there's a layer of thick leathery green skin? It tastes <i>exactly</i>&nbsp;like that, with maybe a touch of dry and crispy fried onion as well. This is an extremely one-dimensional beer and it's not a good dimension. Bad Mosaic! Naughty Mosaic!<br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r9ebHupwBMk/WB4KfZXrtaI/AAAAAAAALTE/KWSfWFyakg0Ofm880tSd-PUCKcsP-rxgwCLcB/s1600/bear_republic_apex_ipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r9ebHupwBMk/WB4KfZXrtaI/AAAAAAAALTE/KWSfWFyakg0Ofm880tSd-PUCKcsP-rxgwCLcB/s200/bear_republic_apex_ipa.jpg" width="106" /></a>And a Californian to finish: Bear Republic's <b>Apex </b>double IPA. 8.25% ABV and a dense dark orange colour with lots of sediment left behind in the bomber bottle. From the first sip I was wondering how long this had been sitting refrigerated on a shelf in Whole Foods. I felt entitled to at least some hop character but this is all hot toffee and caramel with just a sharp bitter tang on the finish. There's no charm or balance to it, which does not strike me as the usual way things are done at Bear Republic. Them's the $8 breaks, I guess.<br /><br />That's some good scooping value we got out of two pubs and a supermarket. It's kinda nice not to be doing long pub crawls every evening for a change. On Wednesday I'll take a look at <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-last-brewpubs.html">a couple of DC brewpubs</a>.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/capital-scoops.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-7204521679414934387Fri, 11 Nov 2016 08:56:00 +00002016-11-14T08:21:08.078+00:00crystal gayle goschiefork lifthawaii 3-0haywards 5000hopworks ipait's the new styleoktoberfreshpfreim berlinerquasarrpmsin taxGoodbye Portland<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T4COvPeVfQ8/WB39W9uX-UI/AAAAAAAALRU/2BtCwUFkAp4QWZB4jfwrTvvsH-ybQ_68gCLcB/s1600/haywards_5000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T4COvPeVfQ8/WB39W9uX-UI/AAAAAAAALRU/2BtCwUFkAp4QWZB4jfwrTvvsH-ybQ_68gCLcB/s200/haywards_5000.jpg" width="126" /></a>There comes a time on every holiday, regardless of where I am, that I decide it's time for a curry. Not every place is accommodating, but Portland, Oregon was. I don't know if it's a coincidence that the restaurant we found in IPAville was called East India Company, but I found it amusing nonetheless.<br /><br />The beer list was thoroughly uninspiring but it had one thing I didn't recognise and was intrigued enough by to order. Have you ever had <b>Haywards 5000</b>? "World's favourite strong beer" boasts the label, so if you like strong beer you <i>must</i>&nbsp;have heard of it. It's 8% ABV and brewed in Mumbai. And is absolutely terrible. There's tonnes of residual sugar in this, giving it that sticky tramps' brew taste. To make things worse it adds in a plasticky sweetness as well. It's not remotely refreshing or cleansing and as such is not a suitable accompaniment for curry or anything else.<br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c1cnXiMsc3I/WB39tECFh5I/AAAAAAAALRY/oX3YX5sACv0v-8rfEYtyfP8mX5eODj2fQCLcB/s1600/ecliptic_quasar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c1cnXiMsc3I/WB39tECFh5I/AAAAAAAALRY/oX3YX5sACv0v-8rfEYtyfP8mX5eODj2fQCLcB/s200/ecliptic_quasar.jpg" width="144" /></a>The other Portland restaurant we went to was Little Bird in downtown. It's quite an upmarket place but there's still a decent selection of draught beers. I had Ecliptic's <b>Quasar</b>&nbsp;pale ale with my dinner. It has a huge and gorgeous tropical fruit flavour, bursting with mango, pineapple and guava, while the aroma adds passionfruit to the mix. There's properly bitter edge on the finish which helps balance it. Impressive stuff.<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zBLVfxn68VY/WB3-itEuRYI/AAAAAAAALRg/vpXBJR_6wqczQDPn8iHv9GxJ_Aalafl0gCLcB/s1600/mother_earth_sin_tax_zoiglhaus_oktoberfresh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zBLVfxn68VY/WB3-itEuRYI/AAAAAAAALRg/vpXBJR_6wqczQDPn8iHv9GxJ_Aalafl0gCLcB/s200/mother_earth_sin_tax_zoiglhaus_oktoberfresh.jpg" width="186" /></a>So that's the restaurants. Portland does have a number of independent pubs as well, so you don't have to limit your beering to the breweries. One of the best reputed ones is Bailey's Taproom, also in downtown. We visited briefly one evening on the way back to our hotel. I had <b>Oktoberfresh </b>by Portland's German style specialist Zoiglhaus. It's 5.5% ABV and a pale amber colour. The texture is nicely chewy and although it's a little overly sweet and fruity, it's nicely done. There's a green herbal effect which tastes properly German without reminding me of any particular German beer.<br /><br />Beside it there is <b>Sin Tax</b>, an imperial milk stout with peanut butter, from Mother Earth Brew Co. in Vista, California. It smells of honeycomb ice cream and only gets sweeter from there. Among the mountains of sticky sugar there's a hint of lavender perfume but any other complexities are drowned out. I found it hard to believe it's only 8.2% ABV: it could pass for double that. Anyway, it's terrible. Like that <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/02/soul-glow.html" target="_blank">execrable</a> Omnipollo Yellow Belly peanut butter stout, it's not for people who like the taste of beer.<br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sd6mLpd3WrM/WB3_NbfQiPI/AAAAAAAALRk/vzFYSoakW7os9QcSsGg-RwkeZaTYav0dgCLcB/s1600/pfreim_berliner_barley_browns_fork_lift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sd6mLpd3WrM/WB3_NbfQiPI/AAAAAAAALRk/vzFYSoakW7os9QcSsGg-RwkeZaTYav0dgCLcB/s200/pfreim_berliner_barley_browns_fork_lift.jpg" width="200" /></a>Across town there's a roomy lounge bar specialising in local beers, called Loyal Legion. Here I found <b>Berliner</b>, a straight Berliner weisse by pFreim in the town of Hood River, east of Portland. It's a harmless little fella, just 3.5% ABV and a clear watery yellow with a very mild sourness and not much else.<br /><br />Herself went for something rather more ambitious: <b>Fork Lift</b>, a double IPA by Barley Brown's. It's a medium amber colour, 9% ABV and has a massively dank aroma, the weedy hop oils infused with oranges as well. The flavour has a spiky bitterness and while there's a definite warmth, it's not as hot as it could have been. Still too hot for me though: one of those double IPAs I find just too heavy to enjoy.<br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tzBsfJRQ4kE/WB3_lzQgxQI/AAAAAAAALRo/jnr5ltJQaqkOx6DZ_gzmemI4UkIIvbJnwCLcB/s1600/horsebrass_portland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tzBsfJRQ4kE/WB3_lzQgxQI/AAAAAAAALRo/jnr5ltJQaqkOx6DZ_gzmemI4UkIIvbJnwCLcB/s200/horsebrass_portland.jpg" width="200" /></a>Further out east, one comes to The Horse Brass. Established in 1976, this English theme pub was instrumental in the formation of Portland as a beer destination, supporting the local microbreweries as they were beginning to find their feet, and acting as a focal point for fans of imported and craft beer back when these were very specialised interests. It looks quite unassuming from the outside and inside is all dark wooden beams, cluttered with memorabilia.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M_dTrGhU_6Q/WB3_5deM_GI/AAAAAAAALRs/NJ4qZrS-cIkum01XEl2tB5UwKM4LUbfeACLcB/s1600/boneyard_rpm_ipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M_dTrGhU_6Q/WB3_5deM_GI/AAAAAAAALRs/NJ4qZrS-cIkum01XEl2tB5UwKM4LUbfeACLcB/s200/boneyard_rpm_ipa.jpg" width="144" /></a>The beer list is pretty decent and I went for <b>RPM</b>, the flagship IPA from Bend icons Boneyard. They've deliberately dialled the bitterness way back in this 6.6%-er, and you just get a hint of mandarin rind in with lots of juicy flesh. It's very smooth and sinkable, the alcohol very well hidden. Beautiful, classic, stuff.<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4BbnCIVhtr0/WB4AHgzutoI/AAAAAAAALR0/WmbpoS0cbckMToblpCJwwpfwzOEnyNluQCLcB/s1600/hopworks_ipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4BbnCIVhtr0/WB4AHgzutoI/AAAAAAAALR0/WmbpoS0cbckMToblpCJwwpfwzOEnyNluQCLcB/s200/hopworks_ipa.jpg" width="200" /></a>Unsurprisingly I did almost no hotel room drinking in Portland, except for one evening when I arrived back with a bottle of <b>Hopworks IPA</b>, Hopworks being one of the many Portland breweries I didn't have time to visit. It's a bitter beast, searingly strong with jaffa overtones. By way of balance there's a candy-sweet base making it a little sticky. And yet it's rather enjoyable in its own raw and slightly crude way. Maybe I was just in a good mood. Portland's like that.<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BHQulam19v0/WB4AqB44oiI/AAAAAAAALR4/i5LEgnrFmAk09yZuZwvJtgEIQ5NJ9kmEQCLcB/s1600/widmer_brothers_portland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BHQulam19v0/WB4AqB44oiI/AAAAAAAALR4/i5LEgnrFmAk09yZuZwvJtgEIQ5NJ9kmEQCLcB/s200/widmer_brothers_portland.jpg" width="200" /></a>But all good things must come to an end. I left off <a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/points-north.html" target="_blank">yesterday's post</a> with <a href="http://beervana.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jeff</a> driving us from Ex Novo brewery to Widmer, not far away. Despite being part of the furniture in Portland's brewing scene, Widmer still commands respect. The production brewery is on one side of the street while across from it there's a brewpub and restaurant, one which does rather good steaks too.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--npycJMI4UY/WB4BBmBXMsI/AAAAAAAALR8/yx8qu-6AfeMgZLzqHdYowuFlobnufcMmwCLcB/s1600/widmer_crystal_gayle_goschie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--npycJMI4UY/WB4BBmBXMsI/AAAAAAAALR8/yx8qu-6AfeMgZLzqHdYowuFlobnufcMmwCLcB/s320/widmer_crystal_gayle_goschie.jpg" width="174" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crystal Gayle Goschie</td></tr></tbody></table>Though we get a decent selection of Widmer beers in Ireland (presumably from the parent company's facility in New Hampshire rather than Portland) there were plenty of offerings here I'd never heard of. One such was <b>Crystal Gayle Goschie</b>, a clear gold weissbier using Crystal hops for a very north-western resinous hop aroma and bright fresh citrus in the flavour, sitting happily alongside the wheat beer smoothness.<br /><br /><b>It's The New Style</b>&nbsp;is a pale ale which caught my eye in the menu as it's brewed using Irish pale malt and Lemondrop hops. The name turned out to be quite ironic as it's very old-fashioned: amber in colour with a toffee and lemon flavour profile.<br /><br />And my very last beer in Portland was <b>Hawaii 3-0</b>, a fruit-infused IPA which is not something I normally have much time for but this one is great. There's a no-nonsense aroma of ripe cantaloupe to signal just the sort of Carmen-Miranda's-hat experience you're about to have. The flavour is pure fruit cocktail, with pineapple and pear being the most distinctive elements to me. It's not overdone, the hops are on the down-low so don't interfere, and it's all very drinkable and easy-going.<br /><br />Portland is a really wonderful place to spend time, and not just for the beers. There's a generally upbeat attitude, a sense that the inhabitants know they have a good thing going and take responsibility for maintaining that, whether that's with food, or the environment, or indeed beer. Everyone should go to Portland at least once. It'll make you a happier person. A special thanks to Jeff Alworth for generously giving of his time and transport to improve my visit.<br /><br />It was back to the east coast for me, and a city <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/capital-scoops.html">rather less idyllic and upbeat than Portland</a>.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/goodbye-portland.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-3710916991450424544Thu, 10 Nov 2016 08:31:00 +00002016-11-10T09:26:44.432+00:00cactus winscasual exchoco mountaindonutsfour playgreen hourphaedrusrauch paper scissorssour flower power hoursupercoolthe púcatranslatorupright fiveupright fourPoints northI mentioned in <a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/being-thorough.html" target="_blank">Tuesday's post</a> the single Portland brewery that was on <a href="http://beervana.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jeff</a>'s must-see list. There was only one on mine too: Upright Brewing. This was partly because I'd read good things about it, though also because its opening times meant there was only a small window of opportunity to visit. It's in a north-eastern neighbourhood of the city and we were able to take in a couple of nearby breweries as part of the excursion.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FFQIWLUdnK4/WB3vytZF86I/AAAAAAAALQc/FKIpZDzcBfUZZWoN-DNa489X9y49DvzBQCLcB/s1600/culmination_phaedrus_ipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FFQIWLUdnK4/WB3vytZF86I/AAAAAAAALQc/FKIpZDzcBfUZZWoN-DNa489X9y49DvzBQCLcB/s200/culmination_phaedrus_ipa.jpg" width="156" /></a></div>First call, then, was Culmination. This place only opened last year but has already made an impact on Portland and picked up a few awards. I met their marketing guy <a href="https://twitter.com/stevenshomler" target="_blank">Steven</a> at the Mt Tabor event and he suggested I drop by: how's that for direct marketing? It's based in a small business centre with several other craftsy start-ups. The bar is quite small but there's a lovely sunny terrace. Let's get the IPAs in.<br /><br />I opened with their flagship,&nbsp;<b>Phaedrus</b>, a 6.7% ABV number mixing up classical tropical fruit with a bit of a savoury turn and some oily pine resins: all of the new world IPA food groups in a single nutritious serving. As it settles on the palate the peach flavour comes to the fore, while there's a brief flash of bitterness on the end before it all finishes quickly and neatly. Very easy drinking, overall, and pleasant with it.<br /><br />My wife opted for <b>Translator IPA</b>, brewed by <a href="http://www.rusebrewing.com/portland-brewery/" target="_blank">Ruse</a>, a client brewer which uses the Culmination kit to create beers for the local art community and its events. How very Portland. This one is 6.6% ABV and a slightly darker orange than Phaedrus. I got a bit of worrying stickiness on the nose, but thankfully that ended right there. There's a touch of aspirin dryness and it's spicy rather than fruity: a mild sweetness present but under control. This is another decent, easy going IPA, though rather less complex than its cousin.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iHVt_j0ugPQ/WB3zNz4vRNI/AAAAAAAALQo/10wXvhKn96UgVOCUmGEKSKujw5zorXEdACLcB/s1600/culmination_sour_power_flower_hour_choco_mountain_stout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iHVt_j0ugPQ/WB3zNz4vRNI/AAAAAAAALQo/10wXvhKn96UgVOCUmGEKSKujw5zorXEdACLcB/s200/culmination_sour_power_flower_hour_choco_mountain_stout.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>For the next round I couldn't resist the beer called <b>Sour Flower Power Hour</b>: not an easy phrase with my accent but I did manage to get served. It arrived a clear and pale yellow, tasting of lemon sherbet with just a very light tartness and no weight from its substantial 5.5% ABV. I was reminded a little of White Hag's The Púca, though it's not quite as full-on. The finish is dry and chalky, and haunted by a slightly out of place acrid sharpness which I suspect might be oxidation, but there wasn't enough of it to be sure. The beer still works as a refreshing thirst-quencher.<br /><br />And lastly <b>Choco Mountain Stout</b>. The name had me expecting a major sugar rush from this 5.8%-er, but that's not what happened. Instead, the aroma opens on a huge kick of dryly roasted grains. The texture is appropriately smooth and creamy while coffee is at the centre of the flavour, though milk chocolate puts in an understated cameo appearance. A slightly severe burnt edge on the finish prevents it from getting sweet and cloying. This is all rather classic and elegant, and not the breakfast cereal disaster implied by its name.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DZdA4O3DmII/WB3z0edHYXI/AAAAAAAALQs/28w15Nb72_oftfJ1xwYEiGpncrGGUcz1wCLcB/s1600/upright_brewing_portland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DZdA4O3DmII/WB3z0edHYXI/AAAAAAAALQs/28w15Nb72_oftfJ1xwYEiGpncrGGUcz1wCLcB/s320/upright_brewing_portland.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It was a solid half-hour walk to Upright from here. The brewery is notoriously hard to find, buried deep in the bowels of the nondescript Leftbank Project building, another artsy business hub. Down the twisty stairs and winding corridors one eventually arrives in a starkly lit concrete bunker with a handful of folding tables scattered around the tanks and an array of taps bolted to the coldroom wall.<br /><br />A flight for starters. Beginning on the left of the picture below, that's <b>Four</b>, a 4.5% ABV saison which looks a lot like a witbier to me, and has a very similar gentle orange and dry wheat flavour profile. Stylistic qualms aside, it's a simple quaffable session beer, not about to set the world alight, but not meant to either.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dUnK4JmALSk/WB30KPWzeII/AAAAAAAALQw/GCjdg2HCEHUvshl3OgZIQXJcB9JhRAhXgCLcB/s1600/upright_brewing_flight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dUnK4JmALSk/WB30KPWzeII/AAAAAAAALQw/GCjdg2HCEHUvshl3OgZIQXJcB9JhRAhXgCLcB/s320/upright_brewing_flight.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Beside it is <b>Five</b>, another saison, up an ABV notch to 5.5% and this time a clear dark gold colour. This time the style it reminded me of was German bock: that mix of heavy grain and green bitterness. There's also a Belgian estery quality on the periphery of the flavour and just enough saison pepper to be on style. This is another decent but unexciting beer.<br /><br />Next along is <b>Green Hour</b>, a fresh hop saison at 6.1% ABV. Fuggles from day one of the harvest went into the boil and a month later -- two weeks before drinking -- it was dry hopped with the last of the year's Liberty. It's heavily textured and quite flat. The union of fresh hop fruitiness with saison ester fruitiness gives it an appley quality, a cider tang which felt a little out of place but tasted gorgeous: proper wholesome autumnal refreshment. I've no idea if that was the intention but it worked.<br /><br />And on the end there is <b>Donuts</b>, based on a recipe from Oedipus Brewery in Amsterdam and intended to taste like donuts. It doesn't. This 4.9% ABV is extremely dry and has a major musty husky cereal component in the taste, a cobwebby burlap staleness. There's just a hint of candied orange sweetness, but it's really quite harsh and difficult beyond that. Certainly a long way from any circular cakey treats.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tMAFggDgRSw/WB30u9kXOHI/AAAAAAAALQ0/MrbwEPfLA2w_RMb99oX4gxmSNwYa_MzCgCLcB/s1600/upright_fourplay_supercool_ipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tMAFggDgRSw/WB30u9kXOHI/AAAAAAAALQ0/MrbwEPfLA2w_RMb99oX4gxmSNwYa_MzCgCLcB/s200/upright_fourplay_supercool_ipa.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Moving on to pints, a barrel-aged mixed-fermentation cherry-infused special version of Four, called <b>Four Play</b>. It's a masterpiece of balance, holding all of the many competing elements in check while exploiting them to the full, for the drinker's benefit. There's a bricky nitre dryness that's different to the sort you get in quality Belgian kriek, but just as enjoyable. The dark cherry adds a gentle Black Forest sweetness while the oak gives it a classy smoothness of the sort you normally find in old vintage wines. The combination of sharp, smooth and sweet, seasoned with a dusting of Brettanomyces funk, is absolutely sublime. And all at just 5% ABV. I could have drunk a lot of this guy, always finding something new in it.<br /><br /><b>Supercool IPA</b>&nbsp;looks remarkably similar to it, but is a very different beer. The aim here is to produce a classic American IPA flavour profile except, in keeping with the house predilections, using a saison yeast. I didn't see which hops were used but I got a major central European vibe off it: lots of sharply bitter damp grass, in &nbsp;both the aroma and flavour. Saison + IPA = Pilsner? Appropriately for the 6.5% ABV, it's thickly textured, with a kind of oily, greasy feel for which I don't know whether the yeast or hops were responsible. The white pepper bite it delivers is very much saison thing, I'd say. Once you get used to the odd texture and flavours it's quite a decent beer: smooth and well-integrated. The guy who only drinks IPA and picked this as a distress purchase will get a shock, but maybe that's no harm.<br /><br />Alongside The Commons (mentioned <a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/into-cluster.html" target="_blank">yesterday</a>), Upright is definitely on my top recommendations list for visitors to Portland. Both are having tremendous fun with the highly-attentuated family of Belgian styles, and the ones that don't taste great are at least interesting.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1PHnhhGM9LM/WB31Hr9FTMI/AAAAAAAALQ8/hSEuxarDsUIPg-Mx2T6JC8uXr423FgOvQCLcB/s1600/ex_novo_brewery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1PHnhhGM9LM/WB31Hr9FTMI/AAAAAAAALQ8/hSEuxarDsUIPg-Mx2T6JC8uXr423FgOvQCLcB/s320/ex_novo_brewery.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The final brewery for this trek was just a couple of blocks further north: Ex Novo. The company started in 2014 and, uniquely, funnels 100% of its profits to <a href="http://www.exnovobrew.com/about/#causes" target="_blank">good causes</a>. It was getting late and this place -- another one of those ex garage/workshop spaces -- was already busy but we got a table outside.<br /><br />I opted for <b>Cactus Wins The Lottery</b>, a prickly pear flavoured Berliner weisse which, understandably, bears a significant resemblance to Sierra Nevada's Otra Vez gose. It has that same slightly sticky pink cactus fruit flavour but nicely balanced by a crisp and sharp tartness. After these two elements spark off each other on the palate it settles back into plain wheat, much like standard unadorned Berliner weisse tends to. It's fun, but doesn't offer much different to a million other flavoured versions of the style.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JeAlK-gQnIY/WB31nWJuC3I/AAAAAAAALRA/rtjYE0PyFisur9y-K89gZiBYT3_BjR3oACLcB/s1600/ex_novo_cactus_wins_the_lottery_casual_ex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JeAlK-gQnIY/WB31nWJuC3I/AAAAAAAALRA/rtjYE0PyFisur9y-K89gZiBYT3_BjR3oACLcB/s200/ex_novo_cactus_wins_the_lottery_casual_ex.jpg" width="165" /></a></div>The session IPA is a 4.5% ABV one called <b>Casual Ex</b>. I got a big hit of caramel from the aroma here, and then wrong-footed completely by a flavour full of watermelons. There's a proper bitterness and a nicely full body, so while it's not the hop rocket I was expecting it is a fun few minutes of drinking.<br /><br />And there was a rauchbier too: <b>Rauch Paper Scissors</b>,&nbsp;a 5.3% ABV dark lager which would not be at all out of place in Bamberg. It hits the sweet spot of rich hammy smoke against a sparkling clean lager base absolutely perfectly, for properly satisfying down-the-hatch quaffing.<br /><br />At this point, coming to the end of our last evening in Portland, Jeff had joined us again. And there was another brewery, not far away, he thought we should see.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/points-north.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-7232120843229351186Wed, 09 Nov 2016 08:16:00 +00002016-11-10T09:29:40.804+00:00bretta livin' apricotcascade kriekcherry lagerflemish kisslittle dogslamarillostay awhiletrailsideInto the cluster<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pkkl-lowhzE/WB3jo5lp_EI/AAAAAAAALPg/p71F1Q9zNlkMoW_2SUIv2KROOPb2jbUKwCLcB/s1600/hair_of_the_dog_brewery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pkkl-lowhzE/WB3jo5lp_EI/AAAAAAAALPg/p71F1Q9zNlkMoW_2SUIv2KROOPb2jbUKwCLcB/s320/hair_of_the_dog_brewery.jpg" width="320" /></a>In the <a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/being-thorough.html" target="_blank">last post</a> we had just left Mt Tabor Brewing on the east side of Portland. We'd actually got there via a couple of other breweries, the ones grouped together in the neighbourhood just beyond the Willamette river. Crossing over the Morrison Bridge, the first brewery you come to is one of Portland's icons: Hair of the Dog.<br /><br />Inside it's a sparse place, little more than tables on a bare concrete floor. The brewery itself is out back, and proprietor Alan was kind enough to take me through and show me around. They've been going for 23 years but, astoundingly, are still using the same brewkit cobbled together from old dairy equipment that they've always had. It still does everything required of it so Alan doesn't see the point in upgrading. There have been add-ons, of course: the serving tanks are new and there's an intriguing space-capsule-like concrete egg over in the fermenting zone. These are commonly used in the wine industry and <a href="http://concretebeertanks.com/concrete-tank-features.html" target="_blank">apparently</a> improve the texture and flavour of the liquid: the porous container allows it to breathe as it does in a barrel, but without picking up any flavours. The brewery's menu offers a variety of beers both "from the wood" (barrel ageing is up the other end of the room) or "from the stone".<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VZzi6tjzlh4/WB3kycXuQfI/AAAAAAAALPo/juopnFqUD_kaWrq6d0szOkIXcnS6EZQRQCLcB/s1600/hair_of_the_dog_little_dog_cherry_lager.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VZzi6tjzlh4/WB3kycXuQfI/AAAAAAAALPo/juopnFqUD_kaWrq6d0szOkIXcnS6EZQRQCLcB/s200/hair_of_the_dog_little_dog_cherry_lager.jpg" width="166" /></a></div>But the demands of the schedule meant we didn't get to explore this as far as I'd have liked: just two beers and back on the road. My eye was caught by <b>Little Dog</b>'s description as a mild. In fact this pale 3.2% ABV job is really more of a table beer, produced from the first runnings of a variety of stronger regulars. In this case it was Fred, the brewery's strong ale, which did the honours. Little Dog had a touch of saison about it, with a dry and earthy yeast bitterness, but also generously hopped, giving off oranges and lemons in both aroma and aftertaste. Nicely refreshing though might also benefit from a bit of cleaning up. I guess it's not designed to stay long on the premises.<br /><br />For herself, the 6% ABV <b>Cherry Lager</b>. I was expecting lots of sticky sweetness from this, but no, it smells of properly dark sour cherries, in keeping with its blood-red colour. The dominant flavour is an exotic spiciness, a little like cherry pipe tobacco, perhaps — sweet but not sugary. This is closer to quality kriek than a novelty candy beer, clean but without the sourness.<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jPZCn7Wd9JQ/WB3lT8TQuDI/AAAAAAAALPs/NCuqH84n7k8Hw_Cc6JRMVtqhSZN6Uhj_wCLcB/s1600/commons_brewery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jPZCn7Wd9JQ/WB3lT8TQuDI/AAAAAAAALPs/NCuqH84n7k8Hw_Cc6JRMVtqhSZN6Uhj_wCLcB/s320/commons_brewery.jpg" width="320" /></a>Thanks to Alan for the tour and for comping the beers. On deeper into eastern Portland next.<br /><br />A few blocks along the street (and one up), one comes to The Commons Brewery. It's a big open space, having been a tile and flooring warehouse until last year, and most of it is occupied by the 15-barrel production facility which wraps around three sides of a kitchen and bar area.<br /><br />Originally founded in the owner's garage in 2010 and now in its third home, The Commons specialises in dry Belgian styles: anything wild or farmhouse is within its remit, and I had a great view of the big wooden foeder from where I was sitting.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rzSddB0hsuo/WB3lqK7abBI/AAAAAAAALP0/F-qWhi7GLFYTvhHOt8IkqhYU1cKZdh81gCLcB/s1600/commons_flemish_kiss_stay_awhile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rzSddB0hsuo/WB3lqK7abBI/AAAAAAAALP0/F-qWhi7GLFYTvhHOt8IkqhYU1cKZdh81gCLcB/s200/commons_flemish_kiss_stay_awhile.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L: Flemish Kiss; R: Stay Awhile</td></tr></tbody></table>That vessel fulfilled its marketing role perfectly as my first beer choice was the foeder-aged <b>Flemish Kiss</b>, a pale ale with Brettanomyces. It's 6.5% ABV and a dark burnt ochre colour. The Brett doesn't make much of a funky contribution and fresh peachy hops are the centrepiece of the flavour. There's a refreshing tart edge to this, and a touch of woody cedar spice. Though not resembling anything I've tasted from Belgium, it is exceedingly well executed, being both boldly tasty and subtly complex.<br /><br />Across the table, a rather more American session IPA, called <b>Stay Awhile</b>. This had a slightly alarming sweet aroma, sickly like orange cordial. Thankfully, on tasting, this pivots to become an oily hop character, adding an intense citrus acidity to the thick sweetness. It also tails off nicely quick instead of haunting the palate longer than it's welcome. Another great beer by The Commons and another brewery I wish I could have spent more time with. But onwards!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1B017SgH-wM/WB3mlSlRRTI/AAAAAAAALP4/BsJm06TkJcgvArPHgrf8AiYYEeCEDnClACLcB/s1600/cascade_brewing_slamarillo_kriek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1B017SgH-wM/WB3mlSlRRTI/AAAAAAAALP4/BsJm06TkJcgvArPHgrf8AiYYEeCEDnClACLcB/s200/cascade_brewing_slamarillo_kriek.jpg" width="172" /></a></div>Very close by sits the Cascade Barrel House. It <i>looks</i>&nbsp;like a brewery, being a low-rise flat-roofed light-industrial building with a big front porch full of tables, leading into an open and airy bar room, but this isn't where Cascade makes its beer — that's further out of town, and there's a bar there too, of course. Cascade is another one that likes having fun with Belgian methods and styles so, with just one beer to judge them on I ordered <b>Cascade Kriek</b>. It's a bit of a monster: a dark red-purple colour, smelling funky and salty, like low-tide on a hot day. The texture is very thick while the flavour piles in unctuous cherry flesh, effervescent sherbet and a sharp acetic tang. It's like a child's drawing of proper kriek: all the prominent points exaggerated beyond real-life proportions. Which is not at all to say I didn't enjoy it. It's fun. Loud, brash, American fun.<br /><br />Herself went for the IPA again, another knockabout beer, called <b>Slamarillo</b>, brewed with fresh hops, to 6.3% ABV. It's a hazy orange colour and has an insanely dank aroma, followed by a massive sweet and oily flavour. This builds on the palate, eventually coming to resemble chewing raw hop pellets — not recommended however much one professes to love hops. It's a bit of a palate burner and we both found it hard to enjoy. I pity anyone whose lupulin threshold has shifted this far.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AJ8UyBQ2vn0/WB3njhXzXKI/AAAAAAAALQA/ImpBazX2CWMctGIp3H9QWxEJ_9GIkx9CACLcB/s1600/basecamp_trailside_esb_bretta%2Blivin_apricot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AJ8UyBQ2vn0/WB3njhXzXKI/AAAAAAAALQA/ImpBazX2CWMctGIp3H9QWxEJ_9GIkx9CACLcB/s200/basecamp_trailside_esb_bretta%2Blivin_apricot.jpg" width="175" /></a></div>Due north of Cascade we come to the last of today's breweries: Base Camp. As the name suggests this place is going for a serious outdoorsy theme, the bright and airy taproom bedecked with a kayak and mountaineering gear.<br /><br />The wife's choice was <b>Trailside ESB</b>, which I <i>guessed</i>&nbsp;from the style designation wasn't a good idea, and I was right. Unlike real ESB this is all hot and cloying, tasting of toffee and marmalade with a dense and unpleasant mouthfeel. A bit like at Cascade, it seems to be all about piling as much flavour in as possible without considering whether it works or not.<br /><br />I had much better luck with <b>Bretta Livin' Apricot</b>: a fairly self-explanatory farmhouse fruit beer. The apricots have been used very effectively, filling the aroma with their enticing scent and the flavour with a fresh juiciness. There's no funk, perhaps oddly, but I definitely get a certain tartness, one which helps the fruit shine even more. Perhaps this could be criticised for being one-dimensionally apricotty but I really enjoyed its simple and clean profile.<br /><br />We'll be back on the east side for some pubbing before we go, but <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/points-north.html">tomorrow</a> it's north Portland's turn. And maybe the chance to stay in a couple of breweries for more than one beer. Luxury!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fy81YO7FUtg/WB3oU0gRQ1I/AAAAAAAALQI/u72Q-Qh3vkkoE2e_dbM3iSvP8M5QYBRlgCLcB/s1600/basecamp_bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fy81YO7FUtg/WB3oU0gRQ1I/AAAAAAAALQI/u72Q-Qh3vkkoE2e_dbM3iSvP8M5QYBRlgCLcB/s640/basecamp_bar.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/into-cluster.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-7025434202195676714Tue, 08 Nov 2016 08:55:00 +00002016-11-09T09:09:54.975+00:00ash streetasylum avenueback to the futurebreakside ipabreakside passionfruitcowboy's lamentcrown pointgrocerylamp postlittle dutch boyoranje leeuwinpowell buttetall guytorowanderlustBeing thorough<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jJckqNoaNog/WB3b0_cgB-I/AAAAAAAALOw/1yN5_PTaac4iKOXxpSh-VtCKDEtm2wEpQCLcB/s1600/breakside_brewery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jJckqNoaNog/WB3b0_cgB-I/AAAAAAAALOw/1yN5_PTaac4iKOXxpSh-VtCKDEtm2wEpQCLcB/s320/breakside_brewery.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I first encountered beer from Portland's Breakside Brewery quite inadvertently. We had just arrived into town and lacked the energy for any proper exploring so settled for dinner in a decent-but-pricey restaurant near the hotel. The missus picked Breakside's <b>Toro Red</b>&nbsp;from the blackboard beer list and it arrived a clear copper-garnet colour. Toasty caramel is the aroma while the flavour presents a very clean sort of smokiness but not very much else. It struck me as a simple but elegant sort of beer, reminding me a bit of the Schlenkerla range. I've just this minute discovered that it contained chillies as well, but they passed me by completely. On one taste I enjoyed it but didn't immediately put Breakside on my list of Portland essentials.<br /><br />It's on <a href="http://beervana.blogspot.com/2016/10/why-locals-say-breaksides-best.html" target="_blank">Jeff Alworth's, though</a>, and he made a point of bringing us out there for an al fresco dinner and a deeper inspection of its wares. The brewery is in a north-western residential district of the city, though typical of the mock industrial style of US brewery restaurants, with those signature pull-up doors allowing the outside into the space, and the tables and chairs to spill outwards in return.<br /><br />Set up the IPAs! Starting with <b>Breakside IPA</b>, of course: 6.4% ABV and dark amber in colour. There's a sweet and crunchy grain background with the hops all savoury at the front. It maybe veers a little towards oniony but never goes all the way there, staying nicely balanced and drinkable, as a core beer ought to be.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q1zsIxcwDeg/WB3cLNBTYJI/AAAAAAAALO0/J7QzFvWlrXUcVimqNVr83z6OIMos92f_gCLcB/s1600/breakside_passionfruit_sour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q1zsIxcwDeg/WB3cLNBTYJI/AAAAAAAALO0/J7QzFvWlrXUcVimqNVr83z6OIMos92f_gCLcB/s320/breakside_passionfruit_sour.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakside Passionfruit Sour</td></tr></tbody></table>Similar savouriness can be found in <b>Wanderlust</b>, which takes a paler approach to the malt selection, coming out a clear bright yellow. It's much drier than the previous one, however, and I think suffers from the lack of malt as the hop bitterness turns a little harsh in the finish. I never thought that the one with the crystal malt would be my favourite out of two IPAs.<br /><br />Next it's the single-hopped <b>Tall Guy</b>. No lightweight at 6.9% ABV and utilising only Citra: I was expecting a monster, but while it's certainly pungent — roaring with greasy, funky hop volatiles — it's incredibly smooth and easy-drinking. Bitter, yes, but not sharp or harsh: a trick which I'd say is not easy for any brewer to pull off, especially when there's nothing but Citra in your back pocket.<br /><br />The inevitable double IPA is called <b>Back to the Future</b>. This is a hazy orange colour and is fairly by-the-numbers, being thick and boozy with the hops adding jaffa notes to a full-on biscuity malt base which has moments of being almost chocolate-like. After the super-clean IPAs which preceded it, this felt like a step backwards.<br /><br />Tired of hops, I went for <b>Breakside Passionfruit Sour</b>&nbsp;as my dessert. It's one of those ones where the fruit forms most of the flavour while the sourness is really just there to provide a sparkling clean surface on which it can shine. This offers a kind of a passionfruit sorbet effect which is extremely cleansing and refreshing.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nsdSaogZ5Bw/WB3dAJ8Z51I/AAAAAAAALO8/dG2MeJQeGqsul4wZ-yw8LAJR4Ov1Ay6LQCLcB/s1600/mt_tabor_brewing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nsdSaogZ5Bw/WB3dAJ8Z51I/AAAAAAAALO8/dG2MeJQeGqsul4wZ-yw8LAJR4Ov1Ay6LQCLcB/s320/mt_tabor_brewing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>That was it for the evening, but Jeff had something else up his sleeve for the following day. Mt Tabor Brewing, originally set up on a tiny scale just across the state line in southern Washington, had recently opened a new brewery and taproom in east Portland. They'd arranged for the local beer media to drop by and sample the line-up and Jeff kindly finagled us onto the list.<br /><br />Here, the production side is very much what the place is about, with just a straightforward bar counter in one corner of the premises which was formerly a printworks. It has a sparseness which reminded me of <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2015/09/howls-aplenty.html" target="_blank">London's Howling Hops</a>: that slightly transgressive thrill of drinking on a factory floor. In a city where hops are king and breweries are becoming increasingly specialised, Mt Tabor has gone for a rather quaint something-for-everyone approach, with nothing too extreme, though everything well-made, of course. Head brewer Ben came from reliable Portland institution Widmer Brothers and has brought some of their ethos to this 15-barrel microbrewery.<br /><br />The first sample passed around was <b>Lamp Post</b>, which Ben helpfully described as "My take on a shitty domestic lager." And so it is: crisp, dry and with a teensy touch of sulphur which adds a tiny bit of complexity that's probably not meant to be there but of which I was glad.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pVlqzT7FURI/WB3eUpCxgxI/AAAAAAAALPM/Wo56V9BOvZ0fNmDYS2ObQZgqjvTsvyYPQCLcB/s1600/mt_tabor_powell_butte_pale_ale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pVlqzT7FURI/WB3eUpCxgxI/AAAAAAAALPM/Wo56V9BOvZ0fNmDYS2ObQZgqjvTsvyYPQCLcB/s200/mt_tabor_powell_butte_pale_ale.jpg" width="158" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Powell Butte</td></tr></tbody></table>This was followed by <b>Ash Street</b>, the brewery's amber ale. It's less sweet than I was expecting, with just a light toffee note plus quite a strong bitterness, finishing with a hard saccharine tang. I think this recipe could do with a little softening.<br /><br /><b>Powell Butte</b>&nbsp;(it's an extinct volcano cone in Portland) is Mt. Tabor's pale ale: 5.1% ABV and combining Herkules, Cascade, Chinook, Mosaic and Galaxy hops, though only to 35 IBUs. There's a fantastic hop complexity here, the aroma full of spicy resins while the flavour starts as a delicate citrus sherbet but builds to an earthy, funkier conclusion. This is one of those beers that performs equally well as a quaffer and sipper.<br /><br />The corresponding IPA, <b>Asylum Avenue</b>, ramps the ABV up to 6.3% and the IBUs to 65. It smells sweeter, with the lurid fruit candy buzz of Skittles, but the flavour is properly biting: harsh resins digging into the palate and refusing to move. After a little while a softer citrus fruitiness creeps in and the aftertaste is a bitter but balanced orange rind effect. This is definitely a lot less ambitious than your typical Portland IPA, but still makes for perfectly pleasant drinking. I certainly enjoyed it a lot more than the other IPA they had, <b>Grocery</b>, which had a soapy twang amongst the big orangey flavours which I didn't care for.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-if6jHQY2wlw/WB3dcJ6HYGI/AAAAAAAALPE/VXuA1td-NNs4zpFf_u8oYSjpIDnFMTVeQCLcB/s1600/mt_tabor_crown_point_porter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-if6jHQY2wlw/WB3dcJ6HYGI/AAAAAAAALPE/VXuA1td-NNs4zpFf_u8oYSjpIDnFMTVeQCLcB/s200/mt_tabor_crown_point_porter.jpg" width="145" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crown Point</td></tr></tbody></table>And <i>hallelujah</i>, a dark beer! <b>Crown Point Porter</b>&nbsp;made me realise how much I'd missed these fellas. It's a stonking 6% ABV and capitalises well on the strength, the aroma pouring out huge and enticing coffee notes, while the flavour mixes sumptuous dark chocolate into that. It's thick and satisfying, warming yet clean and refreshing too. Much as I love hopped-up versions of this kind of beer I'm glad the temptation was sucessfully resisted here. I could drink a dangerous amount of this in a sitting.<br /><br />Everyone visiting was very impressed by <b>Cowboy's Lament</b>, a (get this) Mexican-style lager. It's a much-cherished beer style, apparently, and one mustn't mention C****a in its presence. My experience doesn't go much beyond Negro Modelo, and I <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2009/09/siesta-cerveza.html" target="_blank">didn't think much of that</a>. This is fine though: a pale amber colour with an almost altbier-like biscuit aroma and middling-sweet flavour. There's not much to be said about it other than it's a decent malty lager, which is all it's trying to be.<br /><br />Next to it there is Mt. Tabor's session IPA (or "India session ale", as they more clumsily put it), called <b>Little Dutch Boy</b>. Lots of savoury qualities here: not only garlic which is getting to be par for the course these days, but also an aquavit-like caraway seed taste. It's interesting, but possibly a bit <i>too</i>&nbsp;interesting to be an easy-going session beer.<br /><br />And sticking with the Low Countries theme, we finish on <b>Oranje Leeuwin</b>, the 6.5% ABV Belgian-style blonde with added orange peel. The classic heavy Belgian fruit esters completely dominate this one and don't leave much room for complexity or nuance. It's the sort of heavy-handed analogue that might stay one's cravings for Belgian beer temporarily but isn't a substitute for the real thing.<br /><br />I think that's probably enough imposing on Mt Tabor's hospitality. Thanks to Ben, Nicole and Eric for the tasting, and of course to Jeff for getting me in. So, as I briefly mentioned <a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/specific-north-west.html">yesterday</a>, we're over on the hip and indie east side of Portland, where one by one the garages and plumbers' merchants are becoming breweries. <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/into-cluster.html">Let's have a look at who else is out there...</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--RAbixKbEZ8/WB3fBTY3xdI/AAAAAAAALPU/7eDAiwP4mKM4tyiUUOOSGLBA31C3pb-HwCLcB/s1600/mt_tabor_portland_bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--RAbixKbEZ8/WB3fBTY3xdI/AAAAAAAALPU/7eDAiwP4mKM4tyiUUOOSGLBA31C3pb-HwCLcB/s640/mt_tabor_portland_bar.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/being-thorough.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-3097352697901622635Mon, 07 Nov 2016 08:45:00 +00002016-11-08T12:39:29.717+00:00fresh squeezedheadhunterhop sliceibusiveinversionmirror pondpacific wonderlandpinedropspints citrasaazallsagefightsimcoe smash broxsSpecific north-west<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gkBIfLBuXPM/WB3PI0HD1yI/AAAAAAAALNs/wgdttu3OWEMX3BHK3GpRMsyeIjGHLwI7ACLcB/s1600/willamette_river_portland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gkBIfLBuXPM/WB3PI0HD1yI/AAAAAAAALNs/wgdttu3OWEMX3BHK3GpRMsyeIjGHLwI7ACLcB/s320/willamette_river_portland.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Portland, Oregon divides roughly into two halves. The Willamette river bisects the city on a north-south axis, with downtown&nbsp;—&nbsp;the main commercial district&nbsp;—&nbsp;on the west side, and an industrial (and post-industrial) hinterland on the east, stretching out into residential suburbs. This split has a certain effect on the kinds of breweries you find in the respective zones. And I should mention here that by "breweries" I mean something other than the functional production facilities of European breweries. All of the breweries in the following posts offer some level of drinks service, whether it's just putting out a few tables a couple of days a week, or having a more serious bar and taproom, right up to a full-on pub and restaurant where the beer-making is almost an ancillary part of the operation.<br /><br />But back to the split. I got the impression in this most-breweried of cities, that the west side attracted the bigger, more well-funded set-ups while the indies gathered more in recently re-purposed sites over on the east. Hopefully the difference will become apparent as we go through this week of posts. I darkened the doors of a mere 14 breweries&nbsp;—&nbsp;barely scratching the surface of Portland's brewing&nbsp;—&nbsp;but hopefully enough to get, and give, an idea of the place.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9LHOBfzJreI/WB3PzNWLYgI/AAAAAAAALNw/gsCQqhFoPXI5EOrUpjneeXDsoTuWZXKaACLcB/s1600/deschutes_portland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9LHOBfzJreI/WB3PzNWLYgI/AAAAAAAALNw/gsCQqhFoPXI5EOrUpjneeXDsoTuWZXKaACLcB/s320/deschutes_portland.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>My explorations started on the west side, where a group of breweries are scattered close together in the Pearl District, where they form part of a large urban renewal scheme including restaurants, galleries and the like. Think Temple Bar, only bigger, and done properly. The first port of call was Deschutes, a Portland footprint of the much larger brewing organisation headquartered across the Cascade mountains in Bend. This place is pretty swish, all carpets and varnished wood, but you can just about make out the steel tanks behind glass above the bar, and they helpfully mark on the menu which beers are produced in-house and which are from the mothership.<br /><br />I opted for a flight to start off with, intrigued in particular that Deschutes <b>Fresh Squeezed IPA</b>&nbsp;was available on keg and cask: an irresistible opportunity to assess the value of cask in America. Both arrived clear and cold although, perhaps unsurprisingly, there was less head on the cask one. The common flavour is a wonderful two-parter stacking spicy orange marmalade against soft and juicy mandarin. The cask is more softly textured and shows the oily orange skin bitterness more than the keg, where the hop flavours just seem brighter and better defined. Both fine drinking beers, and I've no qualms at all about how the cask was conditioned and served, but I definitely think keg suits the style better.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nsLp9ndqTX4/WB3QNTxcQWI/AAAAAAAALN0/VxEFuO7M5Iwn0FwBDohJaMISFipoD0ydACLcB/s1600/deschutes_flight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nsLp9ndqTX4/WB3QNTxcQWI/AAAAAAAALN0/VxEFuO7M5Iwn0FwBDohJaMISFipoD0ydACLcB/s320/deschutes_flight.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clockwise from top: InVersion 2.0, Hop Slice, Fresh Squeezed cask, <br />Fresh Squeezed keg, Mirror Pond, Inversion, Pacific Wonderland.</td></tr></tbody></table>A tough act to follow and <b>Pacific Wonderland</b>&nbsp;was next from the tray, a golden lager of 5.5% ABV. The name promises much but the beer doesn't deliver, being little more than a glass of fizz. Palate-cleansing, I suppose, but rather boring.<br /><br />Next up is the session IPA <b>Hop Slice</b>, brewed with Meyer lemon, a fruit I'd never even heard of. It's 4.5% ABV and a deep gold colour giving off a clean and bright citrus aroma. The foretaste delivers a surprise musky sandalwood taste but it fades out quite quickly and there's little behind it other than a raw lemonskin bitterness. I was very surprised there wasn't more hop depth in the flavour, especially given that aroma, but I was thoroughly wrongfooted. Onwards.<br /><br /><b>Mirror Pond</b>&nbsp;was next, an all-Cascade pale ale at 5% ABV. It shows off the hop wonderfully, making the best of its earthy orangey aroma and flavour for a simple, full-bodied and downright satisfying no-nonsense session beer. The secret, I reckon, is they've kept the bitterness levels low so it doesn't get twangy, as Cascade sometimes can. This is a real blue-collar quaffer and was done no justice at all by the effete measure I drank of it.<br /><br />Last on the rack was <b>Inversion</b>. Billed as an IPA again, and 6.8% ABV, but a dark red-amber colour and smelling of hot ripe strawberries. I guess they must be going for an English style, despite the strength, as there's a big tannic quality to the flavour, some Harvey's-esque sandalwood spice and a raw vegetal bitterness. It's a big beast, but not terribly pleasant to drink. They also had a 2.0 version of it which was lighter in colour and with extra hop aroma. While it's certainly more approachable I think it lacked the better features of the original&nbsp;—&nbsp;the tannins and spice&nbsp;—&nbsp;while retaining the same hard acridity. No pleasing some people, though the missus enjoyed her pint of it.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tPSxHt4t3xI/WB3TEF9I7II/AAAAAAAALOE/S_lsn6jKfT46-3-o4KUfB8v3XdeBSq_awCLcB/s1600/deschutes_sagefight_inversion2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tPSxHt4t3xI/WB3TEF9I7II/AAAAAAAALOE/S_lsn6jKfT46-3-o4KUfB8v3XdeBSq_awCLcB/s200/deschutes_sagefight_inversion2.jpg" width="146" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L: Sagefight; R: Pinedrops</td></tr></tbody></table>For round two she switched to&nbsp;<b>Pinedrops</b>, a pale IPA of 6.5% ABV: now we're <i>really</i>&nbsp;on the west coast. A banging whiff of grapefruit and lime greets the nostrils, though the flavour is a little more muted, with a bit of garlic (despite no advertised Mosaic) and plenty of fresh mown grass which I suppose could pass for pine if you squint a bit. It's decent stuff but definitely one of those beers that smells far more delicious than it tastes.<br /><br />And for me a double IPA (or "imperial" IPA, as America seems to insist on calling them&nbsp;—&nbsp;sounds more stately, I guess) to finish: <b>Sagefight</b>. It's not all that often that double IPA gets dicked around with, unlike its weaker siblings, but this one has had sage and juniper stuffed up it for fun. It's a deep red colour and smells of sage and sugar. As expected, sage features heavily in the flavour, as sage normally does when it's let near a brewing vessel, but the oily herbiness is offset with a more traditional pine bitterness, and while I wouldn't say the two fight exactly, they do hold each other in check. And the drinker gets to enjoy this because the rest of the beer is lightly textured with no horrible boozy heat. Not a classic, of IPA or herbal beer, but a fun and interesting experiment.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KzgtC_-jsSY/WB3TuCcme8I/AAAAAAAALOI/aGTrZshDreknZ9fr61cyHwLvpmXbvrlLACLcB/s1600/fatheads_ibusive_head_hunter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KzgtC_-jsSY/WB3TuCcme8I/AAAAAAAALOI/aGTrZshDreknZ9fr61cyHwLvpmXbvrlLACLcB/s200/fatheads_ibusive_head_hunter.jpg" width="176" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L: IBUsive; R: Head Hunter</td></tr></tbody></table>That's a lot of beers and we're still on brewery one. Time to pick up the pace. Around the corner is Fat Head's, and this time the head office is all the way over in Ohio. It's an altogether brighter and sparser space, and unlike Deschutes was almost deserted when we wandered in.<br /><br />7.5% ABV IPAs all round:&nbsp;<b>IBUsive</b>&nbsp;for me, an orange-gold colour with lots of fresh dank hop resins plus a slightly dry acrid burn, but then balanced very nicely by luscious mango fruit. Almost boringly predictable, but beautiful to drink. And for herself, <b>Head Hunter</b>: the same colour and with similar banging hop resins, but this time with spices rather than fruit. It's a little harsher than the other one though still a classic hop-heavy US IPA and probably just needed a bit of getting used to. But who has time for that? On to the next brewery.<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9gMB4J9peLk/WB3U8UxNgJI/AAAAAAAALOU/tBFBvkwvE5QeDL570HVOO87e5Od2MkRVQCLcB/s1600/10_barrel_brewing_portland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9gMB4J9peLk/WB3U8UxNgJI/AAAAAAAALOU/tBFBvkwvE5QeDL570HVOO87e5Od2MkRVQCLcB/s320/10_barrel_brewing_portland.jpg" width="320" /></a>Here we cross into the dark side, to 10 Barrel: once a darling of the Oregon beer scene (HQ is in Bend) but having since taken the poisonous adjunct-crusted shilling of A-B InBev. Not that most of the punters seemed to care: the place was packed, especially its sunny rooftop terrace. By this time we'd been joined by Mr <a href="http://beervana.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Beervana</a> himself and his other half, and we sulked indoors with our beers. I went with <b>Saazall</b>, a pilsner the brewery seemed very proud of but which I found dry, musty and badly lacking in fresh hop character. Also around the table there was <b>XS IPA</b>, a super savoury 5.2% ABV job with a delicate sprinkle of hop spicing but not nearly enough to make it noteworthy; and <b>Simcoe Smash Bro</b>, a golden, 6.9% ABV IPA which, like IBUsive, pulls off that trick of balancing heavy hop oils with lighter fruit, in this case peaches. It's a winning combination and one I think I'd find it very difficult to tire of.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S8uEeC2RF9g/WB3WRdRDJlI/AAAAAAAALOc/3sStSu_ZrasbGQTuozzIx8Lfrh6x9rBDwCLcB/s1600/pints_portland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S8uEeC2RF9g/WB3WRdRDJlI/AAAAAAAALOc/3sStSu_ZrasbGQTuozzIx8Lfrh6x9rBDwCLcB/s200/pints_portland.jpg" width="152" /></a></div>So those are the big fish on the west side, and I'm sure there are shoals of smaller fry around them too. We went to just one: Pints. Far from an elaborate multifunctional gastro-zythological destination, this is a simple neighbourhood tavern that happens to have a brewkit out back. From their surprisingly extensive line-up I picked the single-hopped <b>Citra Pale Ale</b>. It wasn't quite what I expected, having a bubblegum candy flavour and none of the edge I'd have thought given the hop variety used. It suffers from the one-dimensionality that can sometimes affect single-hop beers, though beneath the hopping the malt plays a strong game, giving it a nicely rounded mouthfeel. I didn't feel too gypped.<br /><br />Though we only stayed for one, I liked Pints. It has the feel of a proper local about it, and it would have been nice to explore the menu more. But, as always, there are more places to go and more IPAs to drink. Jeff was quite keen we visit one of his favourite Portland breweries&nbsp;—&nbsp;one out beyond the reach of most tourist pub crawls&nbsp;—&nbsp;so it was into the car and <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/being-thorough.html" target="">off to the suburbs</a>.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/specific-north-west.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-7668671262790504311Fri, 04 Nov 2016 08:25:00 +00002016-11-04T11:43:05.311+00:00burton batonfat tiregreen linenamastesamuel adams boston lagershiner bocksierra nevada pale alesouthern tier ipayuenglingCuriosity and the skunk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ww0zGL-V_S0/WA_ZgvFPsjI/AAAAAAAALLs/xPSc9GppZNMNiReb1D-yDpAMYJV_NS1_gCLcB/s1600/new_belgium_fat_tire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ww0zGL-V_S0/WA_ZgvFPsjI/AAAAAAAALLs/xPSc9GppZNMNiReb1D-yDpAMYJV_NS1_gCLcB/s200/new_belgium_fat_tire.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>I went to the USA with a small mental list of well-known American beers that tend not to get described in the general beer discourse. They're frequently mentioned as background references, as though everyone already knows what they taste like, so other beers can be said to be like them, or indeed unlike them. I needed to try them for myself.<br /><br />And at the top of that list was New Belgium <b>Fat Tire</b>, a beer which sits alongside Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Samuel Adams Boston Lager as the most mainstream of craft beers. And yet... it's the one I've never seen on this side of the Atlantic, and also the only one of these three I actually saw on tap in America. So I ordered a pint. It's an amber-red colour, quite heavy of texture and very sweet. The aroma is verging on sickly while the flavour piles on toffee. Too much toffee, in fact. There's a vague green hop bitterness but not enough to balance something that would sit very comfortably among the sweet red ales of Ireland. I'm quite surprised this beer has any credibility at all. Takes all sorts.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1AjAeDm0n6Y/WA_Z9z98luI/AAAAAAAALLw/Q_dIQkFuqNY0sKpxxszzjTOJuSu6VieCQCLcB/s1600/yuengling_lager.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1AjAeDm0n6Y/WA_Z9z98luI/AAAAAAAALLw/Q_dIQkFuqNY0sKpxxszzjTOJuSu6VieCQCLcB/s200/yuengling_lager.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>Second on that list was <b>Yuengling Lager</b>, a beer which occupies that weird hinterland between craft and mainstream. The brewery claims to be America's oldest and survived both Prohibition and the predations of mid-20th century brewery consolidation. It's ended up big enough to be well distributed and popular in its home territory yet small enough to just duck into the Brewers Association's definition of craft, turning out about as much beer as Boston Beer Co. does these days. Not seeing it on tap anywhere, I picked up a six-pack in a grocery store in mid-town Manhattan and worked through that over a couple of evenings. It's a dark orange-brown colour, nicely full-bodied with soft carbonation and a cereal malt flavour topped with a light central-European-style grassiness. All of which would make it an accessible classically-styled pils, or even a hoppy Vienna lager, if it hadn't been absolutely outrageously skunked. The shop must have been keeping it on a tanning bed overnight. It was horrible, though just about tolerable when fully cold. Beware bottled Yuengling, is my takeaway lesson.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ho6GhzXLkBw/WA_ahv5Z6dI/AAAAAAAALL0/JvXE76t8VAALtf3S4_lEla7p8yV44W1CgCLcB/s1600/shiner_bock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ho6GhzXLkBw/WA_ahv5Z6dI/AAAAAAAALL0/JvXE76t8VAALtf3S4_lEla7p8yV44W1CgCLcB/s200/shiner_bock.jpg" width="123" /></a></div>Last on this list was Texas classic <b>Shiner Bock</b>, another Prohibition veteran. It's a dark red colour and all about the malt, mixing in dry grain husk with a light caramel element. It's perhaps not that different from ol' Fat Tire up there, but I enjoyed it more, perhaps solely because my expectations were lower. It may lack distinctive flavours but it's a perfectly satisfying conversation beer, and pretty much on-style, for the dunkel side of the spec.<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FMEus71UsMc/WA_a6xLgxxI/AAAAAAAALL8/-PLPm_EQHMgfCsC6NaoAAykcFfwZSuI4gCLcB/s1600/southern_tier_ipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FMEus71UsMc/WA_a6xLgxxI/AAAAAAAALL8/-PLPm_EQHMgfCsC6NaoAAykcFfwZSuI4gCLcB/s200/southern_tier_ipa.jpg" width="169" /></a>A few other bottled odd and sods before we go. I had expected to see lots of Southern Tier beer around the place but there was surprisingly very little. In one Williamsburg restaurant <b>Southern Tier IPA</b>&nbsp;was the most interesting choice. It's a heavy clear 7%-er, orange in both colour and taste, and I guess you could regard its hot sweet candy character as some way classical for American IPA. I just found it tough drinking and totally lacking in refreshment power.<br /><br />At one point I ventured into the classy Manhattan food hall Eatily, just for a looksee, but ended up gravitating to the beer section, and ended up buying some bottles to take away. They had Dogfish Head! I wanted to see how that brewery was getting on since it ceased exports a few years ago.<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yodZ-WLMNuU/WA_bN9ALPgI/AAAAAAAALMA/0WxOIkPcbPooc3j17zNUnmz_csfLLFliQCLcB/s1600/dogfish_head_namaste.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yodZ-WLMNuU/WA_bN9ALPgI/AAAAAAAALMA/0WxOIkPcbPooc3j17zNUnmz_csfLLFliQCLcB/s200/dogfish_head_namaste.jpg" width="128" /></a><b>Namaste</b>&nbsp;is a witbier, employing lemongrass and peppercorns alongside the usual stuff, and brewed to a refreshing and approachable 4.8% ABV. It's a pale hazy yellow, as one would expect, with a solid jaffa orange flavour at the centre. The spices are just present on the edge of perception, adding an understated complexity, and there's a certain lemon-cookie citrus bitterness as well. But you don't need to deconstruct it: it works equally well as a down-the-hatch thirst-quencher, something well-made witbier is especially adept at.<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IEl75xgYQCk/WA_bPs3oeqI/AAAAAAAALME/54YFvRWIVZ4pOhOWNH1UOV5vVxCuu1w8gCLcB/s1600/dogfish_head_burton_baton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IEl75xgYQCk/WA_bPs3oeqI/AAAAAAAALME/54YFvRWIVZ4pOhOWNH1UOV5vVxCuu1w8gCLcB/s200/dogfish_head_burton_baton.jpg" width="168" /></a><b>Burton Baton</b>&nbsp;is a very different proposition altogether. I honestly wavered a bit at the thought of buying an oak-aged IPA: it does sound like a recipe for disaster. But in Sam we trust and it was duly purchased, opened and consumed. The biography is that it's a blend of mild and aged IPA and that's very much in its favour as it means fresh hops are still part of the flavour profile. It's also 10% ABV and has a thick napalm heat and a sweetness that sometimes verges on cough mixture. By way of balance, as well as the hops, there's a strong jasmine spice, though thankfully no oaky vanilla. I thought the wood was going to ruin this but really it's just the sheer strength and density of it which make it difficult to drink. The concept is otherwise fine and I'd like to try a lower-gravity version of it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XLvmAFiAzko/WA_bueyCRyI/AAAAAAAALMQ/Oimv-fxT8WQK96eCnklbRUXX7BpMtsLzgCLcB/s1600/goose_island_green_line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XLvmAFiAzko/WA_bueyCRyI/AAAAAAAALMQ/Oimv-fxT8WQK96eCnklbRUXX7BpMtsLzgCLcB/s200/goose_island_green_line.jpg" width="149" /></a></div>And that was my last beer in New York, sipped and scribbled about as I packed up and got ready for the following day's journey west. The next landfall was in Chicago for a swift change of planes, but not so swift that I couldn't perch at O'Hare's Goose Island bar long enough to drink an overpriced pint of <b>Green Line</b>&nbsp;pale ale, a new addition to their core line-up. And there was me thinking the IPA already filled that pale ale niche. This is, understandably, a simple affair: yellow with a slight haze to it, tasting pleasantly and accessibly sweet, the hops offering a modest flash of cheeky peach before it all wraps up neatly and dryly at the end. It's another perfectly decent conversation beer: you can decide for yourself whether that gets classified under "sessionable" or "boring". I was just glad to be able to put it away quickly before running for the next plane.<br /><br />The adventure continues in Portland, Oregon, next week.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/curiosity-and-skunk.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-7582682687604264683Thu, 03 Nov 2016 08:50:00 +00002016-11-04T13:04:41.098+00:00area 291bel airblueberry limebrooklyn oktoberfestbrooklyn pilsnercountry timedefendergreen eyesinstant credibilitylacto futuramiragemr whiteshortsleeve jacketBrooklyn brews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MtMu6dDXxNI/WA_C2VMIxUI/AAAAAAAALKs/bPrdjjZLn38KowI2QAixUmT6bwzJ3x_DACLcB/s1600/keg_and_lantern_williamsburg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MtMu6dDXxNI/WA_C2VMIxUI/AAAAAAAALKs/bPrdjjZLn38KowI2QAixUmT6bwzJ3x_DACLcB/s320/keg_and_lantern_williamsburg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Time constraints meant I didn't get to do anything like as much exploring of Brooklyn's beer scene as I'd wanted to on my recent visit to New York. It all ended up being squeezed into one frantic Saturday afternoon in Williamsburg.<br /><br />We emerged out of the subway just at Keg &amp; Lantern, and while it wasn't on the list it was still a brewpub, and serving food, so in we went. The place rambles a bit from the high-tabled front bar with big-screen sports, to a roomy lounge, to a beer garden at the back. I took the unusual step of ordering a flight of their offerings, and got...<br /><br /><b>Country Time</b>, a clear Berliner weisse the colour of white gold. It's sharply sour, desperately seeking to impress with how properly tart it is. There's a strange sort of pear fruitiness, but not acetone or a similar off-flavour. This is clean and, while maybe something of a drama queen, a very decent refresher, calling to mind quality old-fashioned lemonade. Aaaand I've just figured out <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_Time" target="_blank">why it's called that</a>.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oMgv2aNhB3c/WA_DH1k6hMI/AAAAAAAALKw/dQ5dHYwWKDc435bXjhDQ_iXTjML4QtGWACLcB/s1600/keg_and_lantern_flight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oMgv2aNhB3c/WA_DH1k6hMI/AAAAAAAALKw/dQ5dHYwWKDc435bXjhDQ_iXTjML4QtGWACLcB/s320/keg_and_lantern_flight.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L-R:&nbsp;Mr White, Mirage, Country Time,&nbsp;Green Eyes</td></tr></tbody></table>The other sour beer on the paddle was <b>Mr White</b>, a barrel aged one. It's a slightly hazy pale gold colour with the same lack of head as its country cousin. The flavour is a strange mix of sweet and funk, with overtones of Gewürztraminer -- that sort of unctuous grape thing -- mixed with a musky aftershave spice. This one just doesn't gel together at all well.<br /><br />The session IPA is called <b>Mirage</b>&nbsp;and is nicely full-bodied, though I suppose at all of 4.6% ABV that's not too difficult. There's a spicy sandalwood quality in the foretaste which I enjoyed, and some orange juice freshness. But again there's a parallel strand of unpleasantness: a saccharine metallic twang and a totally out-of-place lactic sourness in the aftertaste. Very nearly very good, but just misses the mark.<br /><br />Finally the straight-up IPA <b>Green Eyes</b>. It's quite a thick beastie, the heavy texture doing a good job of floating some seriously intense hop flavours. Classic pine resins form the aroma while the flavour is an invigorating fresh green grass bite. This one is definitely not trying to be too complex or clever, playing its three chords competently and entertainingly.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HBB_xL82tRQ/WA_EmcDNhgI/AAAAAAAALK8/1ltrYtyIorou7eNJi9Mx7HHlJlaBfz-9gCLcB/s1600/brooklyn_brewery_queue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HBB_xL82tRQ/WA_EmcDNhgI/AAAAAAAALK8/1ltrYtyIorou7eNJi9Mx7HHlJlaBfz-9gCLcB/s320/brooklyn_brewery_queue.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Tørst was next, and I covered that <a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/serious-craft.html" target="_blank">yesterday</a>. From there we ducked around some derelict blocks, into a part of Williamsburg still in the throes of redevelopment, with the garages and building merchants mostly gone but not every building yet turned into a nightclub or boutique hotel. In amongst this lot is the Brooklyn Brewery, and there was a queue outside.<br /><br />We'd had a couple of Brooklyn beers already, in the days leading up to this. <b>Brooklyn Oktoberfest</b>, for example, on the first evening. It's a hot and biscuity number, roaring with melanoidins, for something wholesome and warming but rather plain. <b>Brooklyn Pilsner</b>&nbsp;had also shown up, quite a workaday example of the style with a good malt base but sadly lacking in hop character other than an odd tinny tang.<br /><br />But back to Williamsburg on Saturday afternoon. Queuing to get into a brewery was a new one for me, and not something I'm planning to make a habit of, but it didn't take long. Inside the party was in full swing and another line had formed for the bar. With five beer tokens to spend, we figured that two at a time was the way to handle it.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C45V3EeGas8/WA_FHeO232I/AAAAAAAALLA/eXO7E9Xz1W0vCOPsRNkO32rHcThDTq0oQCLcB/s1600/brooklyn_lacto_futura_bel_air.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C45V3EeGas8/WA_FHeO232I/AAAAAAAALLA/eXO7E9Xz1W0vCOPsRNkO32rHcThDTq0oQCLcB/s200/brooklyn_lacto_futura_bel_air.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L: Lacto Futura. R: Bel Air</td></tr></tbody></table>I went sour again for my first round, starting with <b>Lacto Futura</b>, a Berliner weisse of 4.4% ABV. It's a clear yellow colour and very much down-the-line as regards the style, pushing soft fruit and wheaty cereal to the fore, backed by only a very mild tartness. It might come across as dull to some but I found it very refreshing and drinkable.<br /><br />I followed it with <b>Bel Air</b>, described on the board as "a breezy, tart, dry-hopped sour ale". Sounds like my sort of thing, even at a rather hefty 5.8% ABV. It looked innocent enough, though: a hazy pale yellow, but first sip delivered a power combo of two kinds of sharpness. First there's a clean hit of sour tartness, followed swiftly by a bitter hop bite. The fruit from the hops hovers just around the edges, and I'd have liked more of this. It's quite fun as-is, however, and definitely not the sort of thing one associates with reliable old Brooklyn Brewery.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bAeSqDOZZlU/WA_FvscBa1I/AAAAAAAALLM/3pM9vcerrvEeizZdsCVM4YoSOfanohsjwCLcB/s1600/brooklyn_defender_area_291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bAeSqDOZZlU/WA_FvscBa1I/AAAAAAAALLM/3pM9vcerrvEeizZdsCVM4YoSOfanohsjwCLcB/s200/brooklyn_defender_area_291.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L: Defender. R: Area 291</td></tr></tbody></table>For the lady, <b>Brooklyn Defender</b>, described as a West Coast IPA, but presumably they mean the west coast of Williamsburg because this 6.7%-er is a dark amber colour with lots and lots of malt character. The hops contribute a heavy green bitterness and some lighter spices but not enough to hide the worty quality of the main flavour.<br /><br />Rather better was <b>Area 291</b>, an IPA Brooklyn brews especially for Whole Foods. It's a whopping 7.5% ABV and a dark gold colour. There's a mildly fruity hop aroma and the hops are in charge in the flavour too, though with a light hand on the tiller. The malt element is gentle: just a clean dry grain taste, and then the fruit candy hop notes sit on top of this. It's well balanced, deftly elegant and does not taste one bit like its powerhouse strength.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5gM54q_yMW8/WA_GLOWhJdI/AAAAAAAALLQ/DRjf-xT37NY-_8IU_aJ9xCUydTj-0HQ7gCLcB/s1600/brooklyn_short_sleeve_jacket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5gM54q_yMW8/WA_GLOWhJdI/AAAAAAAALLQ/DRjf-xT37NY-_8IU_aJ9xCUydTj-0HQ7gCLcB/s200/brooklyn_short_sleeve_jacket.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>One final token was mine to do with as I wished, and I picked <b>Shortsleeve Jacket</b>, a Belgian-style pale ale. And it tastes very Belgian, bursting with juicy pear and lychee esters, giving it a warmth and complexity far beyond its modest 4.5% ABV. Behind this there's a husky cereal quality, adding a bit of a sharp edge to help balance it. I don't think I've ever had another beer quite like it: normally brewers pile on the booze to produce something like this.<br /><br />If you like your brewery visits with a raucous rock 'n' roll atmosphere, Brooklyn Brewery at weekends is the place to be, and there's even an option of touring the production side for free if you get there early enough. But five beers was plenty for us and time to move on.<br /><br />A couple of blocks north, in the Greenpoint neighbourhood, sits a brewery with almost as original a name as Brooklyn's. Greenpoint Brewery occupies a corner premises with tables spilling out through the roll-up garage doors into the street. Inside there's a large open barroom with the brewery itself tucked away unobtrusively behind that. It was in full swing when we got there, grabbing one of the last tables just inside the door, within reach of the early evening sunlight.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MtBzknguV50/WA_GzRK4aFI/AAAAAAAALLY/avZ4HskgJ5sAYJ-XlHfQIFoGEwYwk1yOgCLcB/s1600/greenpoint_blueberry_lime_sour_instant_credibility.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MtBzknguV50/WA_GzRK4aFI/AAAAAAAALLY/avZ4HskgJ5sAYJ-XlHfQIFoGEwYwk1yOgCLcB/s200/greenpoint_blueberry_lime_sour_instant_credibility.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>With boring predictability I ordered the weirdest thing on the menu, described as&nbsp;<b>Blueberry Lime Sour</b>&nbsp;and arriving an opaque beetroot-maroon. The first sip brought... ginger, bizarrely. There's a certain spike of lime sharpness, kind of a mild margarita effect, but the blueberry's contribution seems to be limited to the colour and a touch of berry skin tannins. Not the crazy beer I was expecting and, if I'm honest, hoping for, but it was nice, in a cocktailish sort of way.<br /><br />My wife got some <b>Instant Credibility</b>, possibly the most apt name for a beer ever, as it only took one sip for me to decide Greenpoint is a fantastic brewery. It's a double IPA, though on the low side of the ABV scale for the style at 7.8%. Despite this, the alcohol is laid on fairly thickly, with a hot dank aroma and lots of smooth malt in the flavour. And yet it's perfectly balanced, the hops throwing out intense grassy resins which keep the palate on its toes and ready for the next sip. Ultra-drinkable double IPAs are very thin on the ground, but this is one. I'm not at all surprised that the can I bought was the last in the brewery on the day.<br /><br />That fact removed the incentive to stay for another round, so we toddled off into the sunset. And that pretty much concludes my craft beer explorations of New York. But before we head for La Guardia and beyond, <a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/curiosity-and-skunk.html">a final post</a> to mop up some miscellaneous beers that have slipped past unmentioned this week.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zwUkVxkHc14/WA_HXxRWIkI/AAAAAAAALLc/IVfN_x5K53Uo-66JZBJSOCNso-8ojfcYACLcB/s1600/greenpoint_brewery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zwUkVxkHc14/WA_HXxRWIkI/AAAAAAAALLc/IVfN_x5K53Uo-66JZBJSOCNso-8ojfcYACLcB/s640/greenpoint_brewery.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/brooklyn-brews.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-3810062704158958661Wed, 02 Nov 2016 08:35:00 +00002016-11-03T12:09:22.933+00:00barrel 100citracadodaddy warbuckserase and rewindforever everfree will pomegranatehere come the drumshop showersjolly pumpkin gratzertechnoteslatopical depressionw00tstoutSerious craft<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gEkFRQq2IbU/WA-5_xM_KVI/AAAAAAAALJo/bm_HsA5SmIkbAvTo4o6DNOQGhtgRfMO3QCLcB/s1600/blind_tiger_new_york.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gEkFRQq2IbU/WA-5_xM_KVI/AAAAAAAALJo/bm_HsA5SmIkbAvTo4o6DNOQGhtgRfMO3QCLcB/s320/blind_tiger_new_york.jpg" width="320" /></a>I'm a daytime drinker by preference, especially when on holidays. But there was so much to cover on the trip to New York that some places only got an evening visit, a time when I'm not at my best and they're too busy to be bothered about giving me a good impression. We saw this with Rattle N Hum in <a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-crawl-is-on.html" target="_blank">Monday's post</a> and Swift Hibernian <a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/big-apple-turnover.html" target="_blank">yesterday</a>. And so it was with another craft beer highlight of the Big Apple: Blind Tiger Ale House, where Free Will Brewing of Pennsylvania had taken over a swathe of the taps, pouring to a large and enthusiastic crowd. This corner bar doesn't have much of a capacity and it was definitely straining here. But we managed to nab a couple of stools and enough of a server's attention to get a couple of beers.<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ydbDGra6e9o/WA-6ve_2NII/AAAAAAAALJs/SR5_xIQDE6sqH45VxVlBagcFJMugw9SrACLcB/s1600/bear_republic_barrel_100_free_will_techno_ipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ydbDGra6e9o/WA-6ve_2NII/AAAAAAAALJs/SR5_xIQDE6sqH45VxVlBagcFJMugw9SrACLcB/s200/bear_republic_barrel_100_free_will_techno_ipa.jpg" width="200" /></a>I can't remember what I ordered but what I was given was <b>Bear Republic Barrel 100</b>&nbsp;and I was happy to stick with it. This is based on their Hop Rod Rye, soured and barrel-aged. It comes out 10% ABV and a dark purple-brown colour. The process gives it both an old-oak smoothness but also a sharp Flemish red edge, as well as hedgerow berry flavours and some sappy wood resin. Beautifully complex yet all perfectly integrated for some quality sipping.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eeuv0P2Ttxk/WA-7MqogO7I/AAAAAAAALJ0/m6yBP5EFgjAKAQGDkeLhmUWborPycMH6gCLcB/s1600/free_will_pomegranate_sour_other_half_hop_showers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eeuv0P2Ttxk/WA-7MqogO7I/AAAAAAAALJ0/m6yBP5EFgjAKAQGDkeLhmUWborPycMH6gCLcB/s200/free_will_pomegranate_sour_other_half_hop_showers.jpg" width="200" /></a>I just had a tiny sip of the wife's Free Will <b>Techno IPA</b>, enough to find it was rather plain and unimpressive. I moved on to Free Will myself next and had their <b>Pomegranate Sour</b>. There are raspberries in this too, both presumably making a contribution to the hazy pink appearance, though the flavour is much more raspberry than pomegranate. It is strikingly clean, the sharp tartness a knitting needle through the palate, digging a channel to pour the tangy fruit in after. Exquisite and refined, this is not at all gimmicky as I'd expected.<br /><br />The next IPA to cross the table was <b>Hop Showers</b>&nbsp;by Other Half. This is a murky orange colour with a lovely fresh and resinous aroma. The flavour is similarly oily and definitely 100% hop-derived, tasting of menthol and old fermented grass. It's a serious beer with no fun fruit to lighten the mood but the quality and freshness is beyond question.<br /><br />At this point we gave up our table to some other standing folk and headed off in search of food.<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5d0NK8E8CV4/WA-7umCNQ8I/AAAAAAAALJ8/MUEGWPL1vy0CIXDSQKfKinYA3Q0s57VEQCLcB/s1600/jolly_pumpkin_gratzer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5d0NK8E8CV4/WA-7umCNQ8I/AAAAAAAALJ8/MUEGWPL1vy0CIXDSQKfKinYA3Q0s57VEQCLcB/s200/jolly_pumpkin_gratzer.jpg" width="127" /></a>We were back in the West Village the following afternoon, this time to try out Upright Brew House. It's not, as the name suggests, a brewpub, just a bright neighbourhood beer café, reminiscent of the sort you might find in the Netherlands.<br /><br /><b>Jolly Pumpkin</b> was on the list, their <b>Gratzer</b>, so that was my choice. There's a surprising saison-like quality to the aroma of this: a kind of peachy fruit. The smoke only emerges on tasting, where it's dry and nicely understated, fading politely away to let the citrus and sour elements come through. With those US hops it's probably some distance from what the style is supposed to offer, but I don't care: it's delicious.<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r-V8YN4C6l0/WA-8fxQJR6I/AAAAAAAALKI/zKscPOKTD5M-Kc5X9UINoMBW5oBhW1x0wCLcB/s1600/other_half_topical_depression_dipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r-V8YN4C6l0/WA-8fxQJR6I/AAAAAAAALKI/zKscPOKTD5M-Kc5X9UINoMBW5oBhW1x0wCLcB/s200/other_half_topical_depression_dipa.jpg" width="118" /></a>Other Half showed up again, with the best of their range that I got to try. <b>Topical Depression</b>&nbsp;is a "zero IBU" double IPA with passionfruit, brewed in collaboration with Veil Brewing in Virginia. It's an opaque custard yellow, smelling spicy and bitter, like grapefruit skin. The texture is surprisingly light given the strength, which is one way it enhances its drinkability. The other is the massive juiciness, though more peach than passionfruit. A spicy grassy middle gives it some level of perceived bitterness but there's no acidity in the finish and, remarkably, no yeast bite either. Overall this is a fantastically clean, upbeat, feel-good double IPA, in spite of the rather grim foggy and headless presentation.<br /><br />It would have been nice to stay a while longer at Upright but there was more touristing to do. There always is in New York. The next pitstop was in Hell's Kitchen where we chanced upon The Pony Bar, not on my list but quite highly regarded by the Ratebeerians. It's a pleasant open space on a vaguely Western theme and Happy Hour was on, meaning the beer was merely pricey, not obscene. What looks good on the list?<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z-2pqk5mJpQ/WA-9FD_LRdI/AAAAAAAALKM/29zBKMzTpLwprv1UC1lC8P87TD-FQsuigCLcB/s1600/sixpoint_tesla_wheat_lager_interboro_here_come_the_drums.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z-2pqk5mJpQ/WA-9FD_LRdI/AAAAAAAALKM/29zBKMzTpLwprv1UC1lC8P87TD-FQsuigCLcB/s320/sixpoint_tesla_wheat_lager_interboro_here_come_the_drums.jpg" width="320" /></a>SixPoint's <b>Tesla</b>&nbsp;caught my eye. It's a recently-released strong wheat lager: a clear pale gold and an electrifying 7.2% ABV. Sadly it hit all the points that "imperial pils" usually does for me, being all heavy and sticky, the sweetness problem exacerbated rather than balanced by a burnt-plastic-and-nettles blast of German hops. It's all just too loud and too harsh to be enjoyable.<br /><br />To the right of it there is <b>Here Come The Drums</b>, an IPA from Interboro in Brooklyn. It's a hazy orange colour and has a mildly pleasant resinous aroma. It tasted a little unfinished, however. There's a bit of a yeast fuzz covering the hop brightness, with an orange citrus note buried behind it. I found it a rather dull beer but I think it could be much improved if given a further polish in the bright tank.<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0fbEB7-LjCM/WA-99eU2skI/AAAAAAAALKU/zuhPgRKXm_w4G9mQTbNvguEkGfIKcXZPQCLcB/s1600/other_half_forever_ever_session_ipa_stone_farking_wheaton_wo00tstout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0fbEB7-LjCM/WA-99eU2skI/AAAAAAAALKU/zuhPgRKXm_w4G9mQTbNvguEkGfIKcXZPQCLcB/s200/other_half_forever_ever_session_ipa_stone_farking_wheaton_wo00tstout.jpg" width="142" /></a>For round two I turned to Stone. I didn't see much of the San Diego brewery's offerings around New York, but Pony had a couple. <b>Farking Wheaton w00tstout</b>&nbsp;is a new one in a series of imperial stouts they've made with the kid off of Star Trek. This one is 13% ABV, the recipe incorporating rye, wheat and pecans before the whole lot got shoved in a bourbon barrel. And what came out? Well, the pecans are definitely still there: there's an enjoyable sweet and oily nuttiness which matches with the thick creaminess for a kind of pecan pie effect. Beyond that there's not much by way of subtlety: big hot marker-pen phenols loom large, reducing the warmth and smoothness that I value in beers like this. I'd say it's one that will age well but is a bit one-dimensional at the moment.<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MsRUzEPtHwo/WA--XD4yrFI/AAAAAAAALKY/hQYm8iV3tJ4s8QGEJX4x7murLBJkUqd6ACLcB/s1600/stone_citracado.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MsRUzEPtHwo/WA--XD4yrFI/AAAAAAAALKY/hQYm8iV3tJ4s8QGEJX4x7murLBJkUqd6ACLcB/s200/stone_citracado.jpg" width="166" /></a>Herself managed to get two in while I was finding my way around all of that. First was <b>Forever Ever</b>&nbsp;session IPA by Other Half: a wan hazy yellow with a sharp spicy bitterness but not much going on otherwise, tailing off quickly to a watery finish. She followed that with Stone's <b>Citracado</b>, a 9% ABV amber coloured double IPA with added honey. And surprisingly this is another quite bland one, opening on an odd farmyard sort of aroma with an alcohol burn on the tongue and then nothing but a mild lick of green pine to shore up its IPA credentials. It's often the case that honey doesn't impart as much flavour as the brewer expected and this could be one of those.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iZevK2aOkAk/WA--zRH_sBI/AAAAAAAALKc/bD77xG24C9A0Gar9gDwqged1oKbfgCQbwCLcB/s1600/torst_brooklyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iZevK2aOkAk/WA--zRH_sBI/AAAAAAAALKc/bD77xG24C9A0Gar9gDwqged1oKbfgCQbwCLcB/s320/torst_brooklyn.jpg" width="320" /></a>And that's where the beering around Manhattan more-or-less ends. I'd set aside the whole of the following day to visit some breweries in Williamsburg, of which more tomorrow, but <i>of course</i>&nbsp;we had to go to Tørst as well. This is Evil Twin's tap and a place often described in hushed tones by the crafterati. I've heard the phrase "world's best craft beer bar" mentioned in relation to it. On this particular Saturday afternoon it was quite quiet, though a single layer of punters had accumulated on the spindly stools around the bar. We occupied one of the tables. In keeping with its Danish heritage, design is a major part of the Tørst experience and everything is coordinated, angular and uncluttered. Your beer arrives in a customised thin-stem wine glass.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dBPwjEThQDU/WA-_MquOiII/AAAAAAAALKg/KBv9y1kJJFwDFxjwKo371NN85m7l84MgACLcB/s1600/barrier_daddy_warbucks_evil_twin_erase_and_rewind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dBPwjEThQDU/WA-_MquOiII/AAAAAAAALKg/KBv9y1kJJFwDFxjwKo371NN85m7l84MgACLcB/s200/barrier_daddy_warbucks_evil_twin_erase_and_rewind.jpg" width="151" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L: Daddy Warbucks. <br />R: Erase &amp; Rewind</td></tr></tbody></table>My beer was <b>Daddy Warbucks</b>, a double IPA from Barrier Brewing on Long Island. It's a pale hazy yellow with a light citrus aroma. The hops are shy on the palate as well, imparting a weighty oiliness but no striking flavours from the American IPA repertoire. I got through it OK but was left underwhelmed.<br /><br />Her beer was Evil Twin's <b>Erase And Rewind</b>, version 2 of it. This is a 7% ABV IPA, hazy gold in colour with a cereal malt aroma plus a touch of savoury garlic Mosaic. With Azacca, El Dorado and Citra billed I had been expecting something much more tropical but instead it delivers a spiced marmalade bitterness, which was nice, but not what I was anticipating. Again, I expected bigger and brighter.<br /><br />So not much luck with regard to the beers at Pony or Tørst, but they're both fine establishments and I commend them to you, hoping you'll fare better. But now we're in Williamsburg: <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/brooklyn-brews.html">time to hit some breweries</a>!http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/serious-craft.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-6248641020208637399Tue, 01 Nov 2016 08:28:00 +00002016-11-02T10:39:14.113+00:00cubano espressohopstate nyinvasive speciesjolly pumpkin saisonla dee da deemighty quinn's pilsnernirvanapowder monkeyrushing duck elephantsix point dark mildBig Apple turnover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VwVs2eCr9TA/WA-x5MGVS3I/AAAAAAAALIs/HbBdXYN78ZMOiU8ohUI5q48xxFZkdiSaQCLcB/s1600/proletariat_new_york.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VwVs2eCr9TA/WA-x5MGVS3I/AAAAAAAALIs/HbBdXYN78ZMOiU8ohUI5q48xxFZkdiSaQCLcB/s320/proletariat_new_york.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-crawl-is-on.html" target="_blank">Yesterday's post</a> left off with me leaving McSorley's Old Ale House and crossing a couple of New York city blocks to visit the next bar on my list: Proletariat. It's a small space, most of its narrow length taken up with the counter. If it were in Madrid or Venice it would be lined with men eating ham and olives while drinking coffee or grappa, but it's in the East Village so attracts hip young things in search of expensive beers. How expensive? North of €7.50 for the American half-pint (237ml) which seems to be their preferred measure, served in a TeKu glass, despite those being, like,&nbsp;<i>so </i>2013.<br /><br />I kicked off with <b>Invasive Species</b>, a 5.7% ABV sour ale by Brooklyn outfit Greenpoint, which incorporates Motueka and Citra hops. It's a pale hazy yellow colour and smells very farmyard. The first hit on tasting it is an eye-wateringly sharp green acid effect from the Motueka and then a surprising candy-sweet middle. The Citra succeeds in turning this into 7-Up while the sourness is merely a tangy afterthought. A chalky fruit-flavoured antacid tablet flavour finishes it off. This really didn't work well for me: hoppy and sour I like, but sweet and sour is for chicken.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4TN8uqyANr4/WA-yZrV3_BI/AAAAAAAALIw/8DjcBBe4sVEnrGL3Ux7KVSoCMNc6LNP2wCLcB/s1600/greenpoint_invasive_species_rushing_duck_elephant_dipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4TN8uqyANr4/WA-yZrV3_BI/AAAAAAAALIw/8DjcBBe4sVEnrGL3Ux7KVSoCMNc6LNP2wCLcB/s200/greenpoint_invasive_species_rushing_duck_elephant_dipa.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L: Invasive Species. R: Elephant</td></tr></tbody></table>My hopfiend wife ordered the double IPA: <b>Elephant</b>&nbsp;from Rushing Duck Brewery somewhere upstate. An 8.7% ABV beast with an alchemically complex aroma, twirling out an assortment of spices on a greasy grassy base. It tastes nicely dry with a huge, clean-burning, hop bitterness with more spices and lashings of citrus fruit. Most importantly there's no booze heat at all, making it the sort of DIPA that wakes you up instead of putting you to sleep. I approve.<br /><br />Feeling gypped by the first round I doubled down and spent a smidge over €10 for a half-US-pint of <b>Jolly Pumpkin Saison X</b>, a beer of just 4.5% ABV. There's a sharp bricky aroma, like good lambic, though almost tipping over into vinegar. On tasting there's an immediate gritty funk which is much more saison-like, huge juicy peach and honeydew fruit, which was a surprise, and then a classic oaky sour finish, bringing us back to lambicland. It's only barely to-style, though admittedly saison does have a pretty broad set of parameters. But it was absolutely beautiful: combining the best bits of several different kinds of beer in exquisite balance. Which, at that price, it would want to.<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qpOxnMuJKTI/WA-zHsNIAUI/AAAAAAAALI8/qBweUgIVyBAUdKERo1vO3pd3dXReAt0FgCLcB/s1600/mighty_quinns_pilsner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qpOxnMuJKTI/WA-zHsNIAUI/AAAAAAAALI8/qBweUgIVyBAUdKERo1vO3pd3dXReAt0FgCLcB/s200/mighty_quinns_pilsner.jpg" width="157" /></a>Something a bit more down-to-earth was called for next and we went off hunting barbecue. We settled on Mighty Quinn's, a small chain based around New York and New Jersey, its East Village branch being bright, clean, friendly and serving decent scran. There's a small but well-chosen array of draught beers and I went for the house one: <b>Mighty Quinn's Pilsner</b>, brewed for them by Jersey's River Horse brewery. "Surgically crisp" says my notes, so I guess I liked it. It's clean and has a clear green celery and spinach hop edge to it. In short, much more what I was hoping to find in American pils compared to the two I mentioned yesterday.<br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nozv3tSjtFM/WA-zs42L13I/AAAAAAAALJA/17iFnaOCEbo71PQgrv9p8oR8LupvCEc9QCLcB/s1600/sixpoint_dark_mild.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nozv3tSjtFM/WA-zs42L13I/AAAAAAAALJA/17iFnaOCEbo71PQgrv9p8oR8LupvCEc9QCLcB/s200/sixpoint_dark_mild.jpg" width="155" /></a>While tweeting my way round to annoy the folks back home, because that's what you do on holidays, I got a recommendation from&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ClassDrinking" target="_blank">Jon Urch</a>&nbsp;to visit Swift Hibernian Lounge since we were in the neighbourhood, so we stopped in for a nightcap. It's hard to get an impression of the place since it was so dark, but it's big, service was slow and they sell corned-beef-and-cabbage tacos. Perhaps that's all you need to know. I ordered a <b>SixPoint Dark Mild</b> which was nitrokegged and absolutely terrible, full of cloying oversweet toffee; a Hershey bar as beer. Bleurgh. Time to call it a night.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6kzMe5h-XXk/WA-1d1HGIfI/AAAAAAAALJM/FW1TVD_bSI8ApfFY86IXQY89BObcs673QCLcB/s1600/ommegang_nirvana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6kzMe5h-XXk/WA-1d1HGIfI/AAAAAAAALJM/FW1TVD_bSI8ApfFY86IXQY89BObcs673QCLcB/s200/ommegang_nirvana.jpg" width="146" /></a>The following afternoon we were down in the Financial District and I insisted on dropping in to The Fraunces Tavern, the New York footprint of Dublin's Porterhouse brewery and pub chain. It's a vast rambling place and has a very competent selection of local beers. I still had a Wrassler's though, and it tasted just like at home. Except the glass was smaller. M'lady went for <b>Nirvana</b>&nbsp;from Ommegang, the Belgian-owned, Belgian-themed New York brewery's first US IPA. It's still a little off-kilter, but in an interesting way, showing spicy jasmine in its aroma. Bitterness is low despite a solid 60 IBUs, and likewise the 6.5% ABV doesn't make it too heavy or warm. At the centre is a bagful of juicy jaffa, mandarin and peach, making it deliciously thirst-quenching and flavourful. Classy stuff.<br /><br />Just one more pub before I bring this post to a close, but it's a biggie. The Ginger Man in mid-town is another enormous one, ostensibly on an Irish theme but with its bright windows, high ceilings and wood-panelled walls has more of a Bavarian bierhalle feel to it. Conversion would take little more than a change of furniture. We settled into wing chairs in a comfortable corner to peruse the substantial beer menu.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A1rF_D-yQ5A/WA-19zrRr6I/AAAAAAAALJU/uvTCu6edtWUXUjEdT2Sf9buADScnGic9wCLcB/s1600/heavy_seas_powder_monkey_ommegang_hopstate_ny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A1rF_D-yQ5A/WA-19zrRr6I/AAAAAAAALJU/uvTCu6edtWUXUjEdT2Sf9buADScnGic9wCLcB/s200/heavy_seas_powder_monkey_ommegang_hopstate_ny.jpg" width="163" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L: Powder Monkey. R: Hopstate NY</td></tr></tbody></table>Sensing the upmarket and conscientious vibe of the place, I decided I'd take a punt on a cask offering, with <b>Powder Monkey </b>from Heavy Seas Beer in Maryland being one of the two options. It's a 4.8% ABV pale ale so I expected something not too dissimilar from bitter. And I was sort-of right, but not in a good way. Though the condition was decent the beer tasted <i>tired</i>: slightly sharp with a complete absence of hop freshness. It smelled of over-ripe strawberries and the red fruit flavour continued into the flavour. I was left with an impression of brown bitter on the turn, and am minded to place the blame on the pub. If the problem isn't with their cellarman it's with their buyer.<br /><br />The Ommegang fan next to me chose <b>Hopstate NY</b>, an amber ale which arrived a dark red-gold colour. There's a sweet orange sherbet aroma but a strangely dry and wheaty main flavour with little more than a minor tang from the hops. The flavours are doing their best to lug around a stubborn heavy body, making it difficult drinking despite being only 5.6% ABV. But hey, the pub is nice so let's order something else.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wtyp_lSpI58/WA-2WxXDFWI/AAAAAAAALJc/MV9tZyDGihI9B1ktbEk-EvOn5RRRGgD_gCLcB/s1600/interboro_la_dee_da_dee_session_ipa_cigar_city_cubano_espresso.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wtyp_lSpI58/WA-2WxXDFWI/AAAAAAAALJc/MV9tZyDGihI9B1ktbEk-EvOn5RRRGgD_gCLcB/s200/interboro_la_dee_da_dee_session_ipa_cigar_city_cubano_espresso.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>For me, a session IPA from Interboro called <b>La Dee Da Dee</b>, for reasons best known to themselves. 4.7% ABV, bright orange in colour though quite hazy and smelling of that enticing modern combo of serious dank resins and carefree juicy citrus. The downside of all this comes in the flavour, led by garlicky savoury hops and fuzzy yeast interference, bringing us to an abrupt watery finish. It was promising but it needs more zing; there's a palpable zing deficit.<br /><br />And for her, <b>Cubano Espresso</b>&nbsp;by Cigar City, a 5.5% ABV brown ale with added coffee. It smells very coffeeish, with that oily fresh bean quality I always enjoy in coffee beers, alongside a convincing dark roast. There's a creamy sweetness of the sort often found in brown ales and the coffee swings in behind this leaving a lasting roasty aftertaste. This is one of those unsubtle but what-the-hell fun beers; difficult to drink with a straight face.<br /><br />And that's The Ginger Man done. The Village was calling again, and that other famous New York craft beer bar. <a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/serious-craft.html">You know the one I mean</a>.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/big-apple-turnover.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-2314757469596382030Mon, 31 Oct 2016 08:41:00 +00002016-11-01T09:51:31.878+00:00blanc tarte barriquebronx paledaisy cutterfarmer john'sfruit flyglacial trailindianajoe'smcsorley's alemcsorley's porterother half ipasumnerwar flagwhite aphroThe crawl is on<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-om-jnDdGg_k/WA-aUZ34rqI/AAAAAAAALH4/Y4GZZ2E9SmgrYZwPCIO-hoGQWrfD8CKLwCLcB/s1600/east_river_new_york.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-om-jnDdGg_k/WA-aUZ34rqI/AAAAAAAALH4/Y4GZZ2E9SmgrYZwPCIO-hoGQWrfD8CKLwCLcB/s320/east_river_new_york.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In late September I headed off on an 18,000km round trip to the United States, taking in three cities, 38 pubs and a fair handful of beers which you're going to hear <i>all</i>&nbsp;about in varying levels of detail on this blog in the coming weeks. But I'll say this at the outset: one of the objects of the exercise was to attempt a benchmarking of American beers, especially the hoppy ones, against what we have closer to home. And while I had a number of utterly sublime beers, my back-of-the-envelope assessment is that the days of the US being on <i>OMG the next level</i> are gone. We get plenty of locally produced beers in Europe these days that can go toe-to-toe with what America does, and I'm including Portland Oregon during fresh hop season in that. What the US did lack, however, is clunkers: infections, oxidation, yeast bite and other technical oopsies that we see too much of here, even from reputable breweries. Beers that come in for criticism in the following pages do so mainly because I didn't like them, not because somebody messed up the brewing. Though cask dispense is a whole other story. Anyway, let's get the first pint in.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2gBUUGfjItM/WA-amS-3sJI/AAAAAAAALH8/Y2oTQ2X1EAQx7svh4NG1wdUWFLjzjmmdgCLcB/s1600/war_flag_pils.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2gBUUGfjItM/WA-amS-3sJI/AAAAAAAALH8/Y2oTQ2X1EAQx7svh4NG1wdUWFLjzjmmdgCLcB/s200/war_flag_pils.jpg" width="159" /></a></div>The initial, and longest, part of the trip was New York. We stayed in Brooklyn and on the first evening wandered down to Brooklyn Heights, on the shore of the East River overlooking downtown Manhattan. Cliché be damned, we began with a pizza. I ordered a <b>War Flag Pils</b> with mine, War Flag being based up the other end of the borough. It arrived a rather unhealthy yellow colour but redeemed itself with a lovely lemony foretaste. It had quite a lot of the German brewpub pils about it: crunchy rustic grains and a mild yeast burr. Rounded and filling rather than sharp and quenching it was still rather enjoyable and I would happily have quaffed it and ordered another except for the $7 (plus tax and tip) price tag. Beer isn't cheap in the city I came to regard over the following days as less of a New York and more of a Stinky Geneva.<br /><br />Anyway, back to the present and around the corner to a pleasant looking pub we'd passed previously for a couple of final beers as we fought the jetlag. More pils for me, this time <b>Joe's Pils</b>&nbsp;from Colorado brewery Avery: an old friend I haven't seen in far too many years. My enthusiasm was short lived, however. It's a rather dull, thin, boring lager, making a bit of an effort with some nettley noble hops and adding in an American fruit-chew-sweet overtone, but ending up underwhelming, if inoffensive.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HnavMDP4sqg/WA-a8qvF4bI/AAAAAAAALIE/6pN6tQv3ErUK4vhWFappvu-mOOolbE6BgCLcB/s1600/bronx_pale_ale_avery_fruit_fly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HnavMDP4sqg/WA-a8qvF4bI/AAAAAAAALIE/6pN6tQv3ErUK4vhWFappvu-mOOolbE6BgCLcB/s200/bronx_pale_ale_avery_fruit_fly.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Looking for a smidge more wow I picked <b>Fruit Fly</b>&nbsp;next, from sour enthusiasts New Belgium. This one has added passionfruit and Citra hops and exhibits a powerfully funky farmyard aroma. Citra leads the charge in the taste: a big lemon and lime tartness, followed swiftly by a burst of passionfruit sweet. I wanted it to keep going in this direction but the finish is rapid: dry and chalky. It's <i>nearly</i>&nbsp;superb but I think I'd like the volume turned up a little on it.<br /><br />Back to New York breweries and on the left of the picture there is amber-coloured&nbsp;<b>Bronx Pale Ale</b>. Ah, now here's the America I expected: resins on the nose, a full jar of toffees in the flavour, turning quickly to burnt caramel. The hops add a lacing of sherbet and then a hard green bitterness. It's a bit of a tough guy, but loveable and cuddly with it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3iKuHCNw6cE/WA-bU7GFstI/AAAAAAAALII/lARYO_DLI_UPT-xVQjbQcOWCfnt8GQ5JACLcB/s1600/heartland_brewery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3iKuHCNw6cE/WA-bU7GFstI/AAAAAAAALII/lARYO_DLI_UPT-xVQjbQcOWCfnt8GQ5JACLcB/s200/heartland_brewery.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Day two brought us over to Manhattan, and wandering towards Times Square at roughly beer o'clock I spotted a neon sign flashing <blink>BREWERY</blink> down the street. Closer inspection revealed it to be a branch of the Heartland brewpub chain. Inside it was pleasantly bright and cheery with a long bar, a full range of beer options and a folksy -- but not <i>too</i> folksy -- theme. Oatmeal stout for me: <b>Farmer Jon's</b>. This is 6% ABV and as full and smooth as you like. Creamy milky chocolate is the centre, edged with the bitterness of darker cocoa and a grainy dryness to keep it from over-sweetness. It really delivers on the promises of the style.<br /><br />Another 6%-er for the lady: <b>Indiana</b>, Heartland's IPA. Like our friend from the Bronx it's a sticky one, though tasting more of orange boiled sweets than toffee. But while it's most definitely heavy and sweet, there's an acid bitterness in the finish which accumulates sufficiently to provide balance. Overall it's a little too sweet for me, but it does its thing quite well.<br /><br />At dinnertime we found ourselves in Hell's Kitchen, just on the edge of theatreland so understandably well stocked with eating options. We found a pleasant little taco place and resisted the upsold margaritas, opting instead for <b>White&nbsp;Aphro</b>, a wheat beer by Empire Brewing in Syracuse. They didn't warn me that it contains ginger but boy does it: a massive hit of sweet crystallised ginger right at the start, and through the middle as well, with a long tail of throat-scratching ginger ale dryness. I quite like unabashed ginger beers so I was fine with it, even if it was pretty one-dimensional.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6WAgdvOEKeM/WA-bvyJylzI/AAAAAAAALIM/d_ZQ-aYcDWAukrSttqruJNGfhWKqGDJpwCLcB/s1600/rattle_n_hum_bar_new_york.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6WAgdvOEKeM/WA-bvyJylzI/AAAAAAAALIM/d_ZQ-aYcDWAukrSttqruJNGfhWKqGDJpwCLcB/s200/rattle_n_hum_bar_new_york.jpg" width="189" /></a></div>So far we were just finding beers on the fly. Time now to start ticking off the must-visits on the list I'd brought with me. Rattle N Hum was nearest to where we happened to be standing so that's where we headed. It seems that The City That Never Sleeps doesn't do quiet Tuesday evenings either, and the long, narrow and dark sports bar was packed. We just managed to get a couple of seats at an unbussed table by the solitary window. Fighting my way to the bar I came back with a&nbsp;<b>Blanc Tarte Barrique</b>&nbsp;for me, an all-over-the-place barrel-aged sour beer from San Diego's Green Flash, swinging wildly between the intense woody sourness of aged gueuze and soft luscious peach fruit. It's an absolute rollercoaster but I rather enjoyed the ride; and for her <b>Glacial Trail IPA</b>: more boiled sweets and lots and lots of heavy cloying crystal malt. She liked it but a sip was plenty for me. Another round seemed like far too much effort so we left it there.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HxCroCxAgYc/WA-cKxmZvdI/AAAAAAAALIQ/SUEJtyttvqE7wwOLIRZ9FgH-l4Cb-X6hwCLcB/s1600/other_half_ipa_hill_farmstead_sumner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HxCroCxAgYc/WA-cKxmZvdI/AAAAAAAALIQ/SUEJtyttvqE7wwOLIRZ9FgH-l4Cb-X6hwCLcB/s200/other_half_ipa_hill_farmstead_sumner.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>It was down to the East Village the following afternoon, and Fool's Gold, a bayou shack-style bar which probably also gets loud and uncomfortable in the evenings but was very civilised at 2pm. And oh, hello Hill Farmstead on the tap list. <b>Sumner </b>pale ale&nbsp;was the shout: murky, of course, and a little bit rough with it, but also demonstrating a pleasant gentle grapefruit bitterness. Simcoe, Citra and Mosaic are the hops and the latter does impart a little of its signature spring onion as well. Not a stunner, but really not bad either.<br /><br />Next to it there is <b>Other Half IPA</b>, Other Half being a south Brooklyn brewery of no small repute according to <a href="http://www.thedrinkingclasses.com/phenomenon-beer-lines/" target="_blank">this piece</a> by Mr Urch. We didn't make the time to visit it ourselves, but did sample a few of its wares on the way round. This one is extremely, bizarrely, malt-forward for an IPA, brown in appearance and tasting more of chocolate than of hops. A strange and unsettling introduction to the brewery.<br /><br />That was followed by a much more orthodox pale ale: <b>Daisy Cutter</b>&nbsp;by Chicago's Half Acre. Funky dank resins pour out of the aroma while the flavour sparks with peach and grapefruit, and yet it never quite tips over into hop-based sensory overload. In fact the bitterness is low enough that it feels like it should be punchier, but as-is, it's bright, fresh and very drinkable, especially at a modest 5.2% ABV.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nYDgutxgPus/WA-craZnfdI/AAAAAAAALIU/zgvDUKLOaE8CyP2lupy0BUJQgldLcolZACLcB/s1600/mcsorleys_porter_ale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nYDgutxgPus/WA-craZnfdI/AAAAAAAALIU/zgvDUKLOaE8CyP2lupy0BUJQgldLcolZACLcB/s200/mcsorleys_porter_ale.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>To finish this post, we stay in the East Village but step away from craft beer and into McSorley's Old Ale House, an Irish-American landmark pub trying so hard to be a blue collar saloon you can see a vein bulging in its forehead. Sawdust covers the floor and surly waiters sling two types of beer at you, two glasses at a time for some reason, both brewed for the house by the ultimate blue collar brewer Pabst. More than anywhere, its darkness, bruskness, and take-it-or-leave-it approach&nbsp;to choice reminded me of U Fleků in Prague.<br /><br /><b>McSorley's Draft Ale</b>&nbsp;is a pale gold colour with little to say for itself other than an old world hop bitterness which has a touch of white pepper about it, so I'm guessing is made with something German.&nbsp;<b>McSorley's Draft Porter</b>&nbsp;has a definite stout dryness up front, then a middle of caramel and liquorice for a kind of Czech <i>tmavý</i> effect. A nasty saccharine metallic twang creeps in after a while rendering it less enjoyable with each sip towards the end. Were I calling for a third I'd be back on the ale again, but I wasn't. A tiny, exclusive, uber-craft bar had just opened for the day two blocks away and I wanted to get in before the hordes of unspeakable cool people <a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/11/big-apple-turnover.html">nabbed all the stools</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UKIb_gHmGos/WA-c99CTsII/AAAAAAAALIY/ay6tsBrQScQupWZyANexiV_1u_nwjzSgQCLcB/s1600/mcsorleys_old_ale_house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UKIb_gHmGos/WA-c99CTsII/AAAAAAAALIY/ay6tsBrQScQupWZyANexiV_1u_nwjzSgQCLcB/s640/mcsorleys_old_ale_house.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-crawl-is-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-9005067808664980525Fri, 28 Oct 2016 07:05:00 +00002016-10-28T09:05:10.383+01:00back beatblue jumpereight degrees amarilloeight degrees galaxyeight degrees mandarina bavariasorachi redsour cherry apricotthai witwicklow wolf belgian whiteBaby got backlogBefore I went on holidays in September I made a concerted effort to clear as much as I could out of my beer fridge. This post represents that hurried few days' swigging -- an express train through some of the bottled Irish beers new to me in autumn 2016.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b62AtK45OIE/V9sJ51qlnGI/AAAAAAAALAo/-cMrNJkjmeQohV33nMLYrJEeqyH4WXxfQCLcB/s1600/wicklow_wolf_belgian_white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b62AtK45OIE/V9sJ51qlnGI/AAAAAAAALAo/-cMrNJkjmeQohV33nMLYrJEeqyH4WXxfQCLcB/s200/wicklow_wolf_belgian_white.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>I started with a refreshing witbier from Wicklow Wolf. <b>Belgian White</b>&nbsp;is a fizzy beast, taking a few goes to pour and resulting in a true-to-style hazy pale orange body topped with a crackling white head. It smells of fizz too: a hard carbonic bite, backed up by coriander herbs. I was expecting a hard prickle in the mouthfeel but the bubbles are surprisingly big and the texture of the beer nicely heavy and rounded, moreso than might be expected at just 5.2% ABV.<br /><br />The label description mentions bananas and I get that estery fruit thing running right through the beer from foretaste to finish. There's a substantial higher-alcohol heat as well, bringing a certain element of acetone to the taste. A lacing of juicy citrus and a dry wheaty finish do a good job of providing balance and keep the whole thing from getting too hot and heavy. You'd probably need to drink it colder than I did to get any real refreshment from this guy, but as a weighty and complex take on wit it works quite well.<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-02LhL3y0jI4/V9CZzwxbK4I/AAAAAAAAK90/4WsJ-KEuykozKHm1MvwImUN_97t0oNWuQCLcB/s1600/wicklow_wolf_sorachi_red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-02LhL3y0jI4/V9CZzwxbK4I/AAAAAAAAK90/4WsJ-KEuykozKHm1MvwImUN_97t0oNWuQCLcB/s200/wicklow_wolf_sorachi_red.jpg" width="138" /></a>Red ale with Sorachi Ace hops is a new one on me, I think, but that's what Wicklow Wolf's <b>Sorachi Red</b>&nbsp;is. It's a clear dark copper colour, almost more brown than red, and topped by a stiff off-white head. The two sides of the equation are present right from the aroma, showing lots of toffee but also the distinctive lemon rind and powdered coconut of Sorachi Ace. There's a very Irish red sort of burnt roast in the flavour, something that successfully pushes against both the crystal malt sweetness and the obstreperous hops.<br /><br />It's almost classically traditional, if a little strong at 5.1% ABV, and only at the finish is there that cheeky pinch of lemon. Definitely not a mad banging craft beer oddity, but rather a fun modern twist on a quite old fashioned style. Grandad's bought a fixie. Good for him.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KoL3BxICAQ0/V9WduopCdrI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/fvJARxV2eugNKJxL8xTulU9z2IJ2WIL9QCLcB/s1600/dungarvan_thai_wit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KoL3BxICAQ0/V9WduopCdrI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/fvJARxV2eugNKJxL8xTulU9z2IJ2WIL9QCLcB/s200/dungarvan_thai_wit.jpg" width="151" /></a>Combining witbier with the east-Asian theme brings us to&nbsp;<b>Thai Wit</b>, new from Dungarvan Brewing. It's a whopping 6.4% ABV and rather dark for the style, a kind of amber brown. There's a lovely sweet Thai perfume, the lemongrass particularly prominent. It's rather more style-typical on tasting, the coriander coming through loud and clear on top of a dry wheatiness with lots of fizz. I'd swear I can taste the orange peel but no orange is listed on the ingredients. Perhaps it's the kaffir lime leaf giving it that citrus quality. The herbal finish lasts long, an oily coriander residue left on the lips.<br /><br />It's a fun and interesting version of the style, not startlingly different but ramping up the flavours and offering a few extra bells and whistles. I didn't have any Thai food to hand but I reckon it would work very well as an accompaniment.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uAxW5yCWi94/V9cY4ovgsVI/AAAAAAAAK_U/JLQq1pbG0z4FVoZT-R55WbHjseWRsxrTgCLcB/s1600/western_herd_back_beat_witbier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uAxW5yCWi94/V9cY4ovgsVI/AAAAAAAAK_U/JLQq1pbG0z4FVoZT-R55WbHjseWRsxrTgCLcB/s200/western_herd_back_beat_witbier.jpg" width="129" /></a>I'm writing this in the aftermath of the 2016 Irish Craft Beer Festival at the RDS and one of the stars of that show was Western Herd on their first visit to a Dublin festival. Apparently, anyway. I didn't get around to actually visiting their stand -- more fool me. I do have a couple of their bottles in the backlog, however, and I'm starting with yet another witbier: <b>Back Beat</b>.<br /><br />This is a more orthodox orange colour. I had the option of leaving the yeast out but thought to hell with it and dumped the lees in as well, so you can add hazy to the appearance description. The fruit is off the charts in the aroma: bananas at first, then jaffa and mandarin, like a fruit salad (the dessert, not the chewy sweet). It's rather drier on tasting, with a sulphurous note I tend to associate with immature wheat beers. The coriander brings soap, the yeast an earthy grit, and all the lovely soft fruit from the aroma has evaporated. In the end it's a rather harsh beer, perhaps needing to be served very cold to smooth it out. It's complex, sure, but not in the right ways.<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ESe4YqfTzIw/V9cY6BqFDxI/AAAAAAAAK_Y/tBIUn836i18OBZsLJtGiIsedI4JvdjDSACLcB/s1600/western_herd_blue_jumper_ipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ESe4YqfTzIw/V9cY6BqFDxI/AAAAAAAAK_Y/tBIUn836i18OBZsLJtGiIsedI4JvdjDSACLcB/s200/western_herd_blue_jumper_ipa.jpg" width="124" /></a>The other one of theirs I picked up in DrinkStore is <b>Blue Jumper IPA</b>. At 6.2% ABV a bit of poke was expected and it delivers in the aroma all right, a smack of fresh grapefruit with a definite heavy crystal malt toffee sweetness behind it: American-style IPA the way your momma used to make it.<br /><br />It's extremely thick, to the point of being almost difficult to pull from the glass. At first there's a harsh and raw vegetal flavour but this opens out shortly after into zestier orange sherbet before settling back into the earthy tones of Cascade, with a more grapefruit and a metallic edge to remind you that this hop is descended from Fuggles.<br /><br />Poke? Yes, it has that. This beer is extremely hoppy, in way that went out of fashion a couple of years ago but is genuinely fun to drink, as a 33cl serve anyway. The pencil sharpener finish is a bit much, but that gooey orange-toffee centre more than makes up for it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LO2kb7NwidE/V9nB12l3YAI/AAAAAAAALAU/8C2RVX8TGy8ZFDxtOJlEMSHE-XpXMmWBQCLcB/s1600/eight_degrees_amarillo_ipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LO2kb7NwidE/V9nB12l3YAI/AAAAAAAALAU/8C2RVX8TGy8ZFDxtOJlEMSHE-XpXMmWBQCLcB/s200/eight_degrees_amarillo_ipa.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>Some more IPA to go on top of that? Sure why not. <b>Amarillo</b>&nbsp;is number four in Eight Degrees's series of 5.7% ABV single hoppers, each of which has gone all out to show the hops at their banging and bitterest best. This guy is no exception. I had a bit of a cold when I got to it so I think the full effect of the aroma was a little bit lost on me. It didn't smell of all that much anyway, just a faint candy-citrus that could be any hop.<br /><br />However, there was nothing wrong with my flavour sensing apparatus: one sip brings a dense orangey oiliness, the exact same sort of hop density and intensity found in the beer's companions. Where you'd normally expect the malt to sweep in and spread the load, it doesn't. Instead there's a dry and quite tannic bitter finish, bringing Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter incongruously, but pleasingly, to mind. An acidic greenness hangs around on the palate afterwards, waiting to be swept away, temporarily, by another gush of citrus. Like the Galaxy and Mandarina Bavaria versions before it, it's a bit strange to have hops normally associated with juiciness bringing such a hard bitter edge to a beer, but also like those two, it's wonderfully invigorating and at the end of the bottle I was wishing I'd had a pint.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CtR9Fjo2nC0/V97DcfYcjmI/AAAAAAAALEM/i24ixBLaak8-WHNJmsICnp2Wq_1seaVHACLcB/s1600/dot_sour_apricot_cherry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CtR9Fjo2nC0/V97DcfYcjmI/AAAAAAAALEM/i24ixBLaak8-WHNJmsICnp2Wq_1seaVHACLcB/s200/dot_sour_apricot_cherry.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>And finally, with the bags packed and the taxi booked, DOT's <b>Sour Cherry Apricot Ale</b>. It's a muddy brown colour with an odd sort of aroma: over-ripe squashy summer fruit and an enticing Orvalesque funk. Though it looks weighty it's only 4.5% ABV, with a corresponding lightness of texture. The flavour is quite light too and I sat perplexed at the keyboard for the first few mouthfuls, trying to find something to grab on to. The apricot is certainly there, as a sort of candied fruit flavour, then there's a kind of cherry skin bitterness and behind it the melanoidin biscuit flavour of the Belgian malt, and also a quite Belgian gritty yeast flavour. It all tails off quickly, leaving just a faint trace of that cherry bite.<br /><br />It's definitely a disconcerting beer. Unsettling, even. Part of me wanted the flavours to be bigger and bolder, but I also wouldn't want it to be a hot sugary yeasty mess, which I'm sure would be all too easy to do. At the other end it has too much going on to be a refreshing quaffer, nor is it clean enough. So no constructive criticism from me, but I do think the recipe, while promising, needs work.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/10/baby-got-backlog.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-1555421891803795228Wed, 26 Oct 2016 07:18:00 +00002016-10-26T12:14:40.135+01:00trolltungatschüssSour BritsThe fashion for sour beers continues apace, and is mostly to the good, in my opinion. Today I'm looking at one each from two English breweries who have produced some of my favourite British beers of recent years. Big things are expected.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s2nt0GE__wo/V8LoBU2sh6I/AAAAAAAAK4E/FmQwH4tmRz44BHVQDNfH_lbB0M4u1gpMACLcB/s1600/buxton_trolltunga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s2nt0GE__wo/V8LoBU2sh6I/AAAAAAAAK4E/FmQwH4tmRz44BHVQDNfH_lbB0M4u1gpMACLcB/s200/buxton_trolltunga.jpg" width="144" /></a></div>I had gone into L. Mulligan Grocer looking for something else but when it wasn't available I picked Buxton's <b>Trolltunga</b> instead. They've brewed this in collaboration with Norwegian brewers Lervig and have badged it as a sour IPA, with added gooseberries for good measure and a powerful 6.3% ABV. That all sounds very complex but the reality was rather simpler. It's very pale, for starters: the wan yellow of a Berliner weisse rather than an IPA. The sourness is right up front as a lovely tangy bite with just a hint of sweeter gooseberry candy. The hops are the element which lose out in the combination, and I definitely wouldn't have described this as an IPA. Just right on the finish there's a slightly spicy lemon curd flavour and I'm wondering if that might be the hops at work. They're not grafting very hard if so.<br /><br />I really enjoyed this. Above all it's clean and assertively sour with enough complexity to keep it interesting but not distract from its essential nature. It tastes nothing like as strong as it is so perhaps a note of caution should be sounded there.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lls9lmfzzRc/V8LoDAAjzbI/AAAAAAAAK4I/BqIKQNOnohk6HG9kD_v6qCf8Fhzkjg7WQCLcB/s1600/siren_tschuss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lls9lmfzzRc/V8LoDAAjzbI/AAAAAAAAK4I/BqIKQNOnohk6HG9kD_v6qCf8Fhzkjg7WQCLcB/s200/siren_tschuss.jpg" width="161" /></a>The other beer is even more convoluted. Siren's <b>Tschüss </b>is a Berliner weisse but they've added lime, orange, blueberries and mint: not a combination I've met before. Located on tap in Alfie Byrne's, it's 5% ABV and a dark orange-amber colour. Blueberries can have a tendency to hide in a flavour profile but this wears them right up front in the aroma for a beer that smells incredibly tempting, like a moist blueberry muffin. In the flavour it's the mint that takes over: an eye-watering menthol sharpness plus a kind of pea-skin greenness. Once again something has to give and this time it's the orange and lime which seem to have disappeared completely, and the sourness is quite muted as well. It is still quite refreshing, however. The Berliner bugs have chomped through the malt nicely and left next to no residual sugars.<br /><br />Tschüss is an interesting experiment. I wouldn't say the different elements gel together particularly well, but they work as individuals creating something that definitely holds the drinker's attention. A bit more sourness would have been nice, however.<br /><br />And my expectations? Yes, they've been met. I'm looking forward to more sour oddities from both of these breweries.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/10/sour-brits.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-4715185715112466884Mon, 24 Oct 2016 07:34:00 +00002016-10-24T08:34:07.946+01:00garage dayskelly's mountain lagerkenmare ipaJust superThe SuperValu supermarket around the corner from me has featured in a few posts this year, including the one about them <a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/07/hear-me-growl.html" target="_blank">setting up their own growler station</a> (no, I haven't seen anyone actually use it since then). Their bottled beer offer continues to improve and today's post is about <i>three</i>&nbsp;that I found on the shelves there that I'd not seen in the independent off licences where I normally buy my beers.<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Kz0TSaTNeU/V8C6Sy8u2PI/AAAAAAAAK3s/uV_z3i1eppU_3JBz0idrzWKODh9JKMH8gCLcB/s1600/kellys_mountain_lager.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Kz0TSaTNeU/V8C6Sy8u2PI/AAAAAAAAK3s/uV_z3i1eppU_3JBz0idrzWKODh9JKMH8gCLcB/s200/kellys_mountain_lager.jpg" width="123" /></a>In the interests of blogger ethics I should point out that I've done a couple of recent paid gigs for SuperValu's parent company, but I think it's indicative of how serious they're taking their beer offer that they're willing to commission content from a communicator as talented, handsome and modest as myself.<br /><br />To the beers, then. The first is <b>Kelly's Mountain Lager</b>. This Kildare microbrewery is better known (to me anyway) for its safe and mostly quite dark beers. I'll admit I was sceptical of their lagering abilities, and the wonky label didn't exactly inspire confidence. I put this to the full sensory test for lager, ie consuming it cold from the fridge on a sunny evening after I put manners on my lawn. It's only 4.2% ABV but it has the dark gold colouring of a bock, or even a märzen. And the flavour is along those lines: heavy with a golden syrup sweetness, accentuated by the low carbonation. There's no discernible hop character and only a couple of very minor technical imperfections -- I get a bit of green apple and some greasy esters -- but the finish is clean and it's properly crisp and quenching. Not the world's greatest pale lager but it does the job that the style is best at doing.<br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h1lJedFXyz0/V8C6Y5qvy6I/AAAAAAAAK3w/CHZLBSQ3_NwfeUI5xZ-vWNiVadW4jet3QCLcB/s1600/kenmare_ipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h1lJedFXyz0/V8C6Y5qvy6I/AAAAAAAAK3w/CHZLBSQ3_NwfeUI5xZ-vWNiVadW4jet3QCLcB/s200/kenmare_ipa.jpg" width="140" /></a>The Kenmare brand is exclusive to SuperValu and its sister companies, I think, with the beer brewed at Brú in Meath. <b>Kenmare India Pale Ale</b>&nbsp;talks a big game for a supermarket beer: "Extra Hopped IPA" says the front label, with "a blast of citrus" promised on the back. Well! It's dark orange with a slight haze and the aroma is quite sweet, with a sort of chocolate and caramel effect that isn't very IPAish at all. There's a definite fun spiciness in the flavour, even a touch of herbal dank, but that heavy residual sugar is there too, and it's the sugar that builds on the palate as you drink, to the point that it becomes cloying, more cloying than you'd expect at a modest 5.1% ABV. I think this may be one of those beers where the label copy was written before the hot liquor tank was plugged in, and describes what it's <i>supposed</i>&nbsp;to be, rather than what the contract brewery delivered. It's not a bad beer but it doesn't really let the hops shine the way they want to: the balance tilted just a little too far towards the malt.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_HKJ3phlP00/V8C6asBLP3I/AAAAAAAAK30/MVK25729qtEyaJ0VFz8rCqhJX1v-nk-OACLcB/s1600/wild_bat_garage_days.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_HKJ3phlP00/V8C6asBLP3I/AAAAAAAAK30/MVK25729qtEyaJ0VFz8rCqhJX1v-nk-OACLcB/s200/wild_bat_garage_days.jpg" width="129" /></a>Last up is <b>Garage Days</b> from Corrib Brewing under their Wild Bat label, a pale ale at a full 5% ABV. I got huge fizz from this, though at least some of that was down to the glass I chose. Beneath the foam it's a rich amber colour with a slightly funky orange smell once you get past the gassy CO2. It's another malt-heavy one, but not as sweet as the Kenmare, more rounded and balanced. The hops bring a decent amount of fruit and spice but it's all very old world: jaffa, cloves and pepper. There's also a slightly hard metallic edge and some headachey hot alcohol. The label refers to how the recipe started life as a homebrew favourite and I get a definite homebrewish feel from it. It's enjoyable to drink but doesn't seem as polished as most commercial pale ales.<br /><br />OK, so SuperValu has a good selection of new stuff but they all seem to lack a wow factor. Nobody goes to the big multiples to be wowed, I guess.http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2016/10/just-super.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Beer Nut)2